The Red Clay Strays is an American country rock band formed in Mobile, Alabama, best known for their 2022 single "Wondering Why", which had success in late 2023 after going viral on TikTok. It was their first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 71.
members: Drew Nix, Andrew Bishop, John Hall, Zachary Rishel, Brandon Coleman
formed in: Mobile
awards: Country Music Association Award for Vocal Group of the Year
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The Red Clay Strays formed as the successor to a cover band in Mobile in 2016, consisting of lead singer Brandon Coleman, bassist Andrew Bishop, and guitarist Drew Nix. As the first band began performing more original material, they regrouped and formed the Red Clay Strays, adding drummer John Hall and guitarist Zach Rishel. The group continued to perform locally in smaller venues in the southeastern United States and built up a regional following, signing with management company Ontourage Management in 2019. In November 2019, they released the single "Good Godly Woman", which was featured in the film Doctor Sleep. The singles "No Way to Know" and "Will the Lord Remember Me" followed in 2020. However, the group had to step back from...
"Wondering Why" is a song by American country music band the Red Clay Strays, released on March 9, 2022 as the second single from their debut studio album Moment of Truth (2022). A sleeper hit, it found success after going viral on the video-sharing app TikTok in late 2023 and is the band's first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at number 93 and peaking at number 71.
The Red Clay Strays' guitarist Drew Nix and lead singer Brandon Coleman, along with songwriter Dan Couch, were inspired to write the song by the notion that the band's commitment to success in music had taken a toll on their romantic partners. According to Nix, "We were like, 'Our women have the short end of the stick of this. I wonder why they even like us.'"
Described as a "bluesy", the song depicts an unlikely romantic relationship between an upper-class woman and working-class man.
Jessica Nicholson of Billboard gave a positive review, writing that Brandon Coleman's "gruff, impassioned vocal shines here as always, bolstered by the group's exemplary musicianship."