Can exes be friends? Country music’s hard-rocking standout Tyler Braden offers an answer in his aptly titled and ache-filled new track “Friends” (listen HERE). The song, framed as a conversation between two old flames, erupts into an explosive chorus: “When you say you wanna be friends / like I’ve never seen you crawl across my bed / like ‘I love you’ something we ain’t never said…” Fans have been clamoring for the release of “Friends” (Randy Montana, Lynn Hutton, Brent Anderson) since Braden first performed it across London, Scotland and Ireland at the world-famous C2C festival in March of this year.“Honestly, this could be the most excited I’ve been for a release thus far,” Braden shared. “And that’s strictly because of the love that fans have shown for this song. We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback at both live shows and through social media, and there seems to be a lot of people that are pumped to hear this one. Thanks to the writers – Randy Montana, Lynn Hutton and Brent Anderson – and to Randy for producing it. I’m proud to get to play a role in ‘Friends’ by delivering it to the world. I’ve been confident since the first time I played it that this song really is something special, and I hope listeners feel the same.”
Just two weeks ago the breakout artist, praised for his gritty vocals and an expressive pen, shared One Take Sessions: Vol. 1 (listen HERE). The five-track EP features live performances in a stripped-down style made popular through his long-running “One Song, One Take” video series. The track list includes Braden’s debut single “Try Losing One” – a SiriusXM The Highway chart-topper that has earned nearly 90 million global streams – and his take on the Goo Goo Dolls’ seminal smash hit “Iris.”One Take Sessions: Vol 1 follows Braden’s Neon Grave EP, released earlier this year (listen HERE). Braden has a hand in penning all six cuts on the project, including one solo credit. MusicRow called the title track “[seething] with vocal passion” and described it as a “slow-burn country rocker with a dark twang and, as usual, [Braden] sings his face off.” Holler, meanwhile, recently declared, “Tyler Braden delivers heartbreak and emotional tribulation with such resolve that you can’t help [but] be carried and stirred by the weight of his words.”
Braden has carved his own lane in the country music industry, underscoring emotional lyrics with a plugged-in grit. He has already accumulated nearly 240 million global streams, and his debut single “Try Losing One” hit No. 1 on SiriusXM The Highway’s Hot 30 Countdown (listen HERE). This year the road warrior has toured with the likes of Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley and Mitchell Tenpenny. Last night, Braden wrapped his summer run on Luke Bryan’s Country On tour.
