Music discovery · Influence explorer

Artists like Zach Bryan — and the music that made them

Folk Country · 2017-present

Raw, confessional folk-country straight from the heart and barracks

Zach Bryan is a Navy veteran turned singer-songwriter who exploded into country music with deeply personal, acoustic-driven songs recorded in makeshift settings. His authentic storytelling and stripped-down approach has resonated with millions, proving that genuine artistry can cut through industry polish to reach listeners directly.

Essential tracks

►Heading South

►Something in the Orange

►I Remember Everything

Did you know

He recorded his debut album in an Airbnb using basic equipment while still serving in the Navy

His breakthrough came from posting homemade videos on YouTube while stationed in Washington state

He was discharged from the Navy in 2021 after eight years of service to pursue music full-time

“Raw acoustic storytelling with weathered vocals capturing small-town American heartbreak”

generations
of influence

Influence tree

Trace Zach Bryan's roots back through history

Every sound has a source. Click any node to hear the connection.

Zach Bryan

2017-present

Jason Isbell

2007-present

cited

Chris Stapleton

2015-present

sonic

Tyler Childers

2011-present

movement

Justin Townes Earle

2007-2020

sonic

Ryan Adams

2000-2019

sonic

Lucero

1998-present

movement

Townes Van Zandt

1968-1997

cited

Steve Earle

1986-present

sonic

John Prine

1971-2020

cited

↑ Click any influence node to see the connection and where to start listening.

What makes the sound

Sonic elements

Fingerpicked acoustic guitar

Unpolished, emotional vocals

Narrative-driven songwriting

Minimalist production

Start with these tracks

Heading South

Something in the Orange

I Remember Everything

Revival

If you like Zach Bryan, try these

Tyler Childers

Shares Bryan's authentic blue-collar narrative style and Appalachian-tinged delivery

Master storyteller with introspective lyrics about love, loss, and redemption

2010s · Americana

Chris Stapleton

Powerful, soulful vocals over stripped-down country arrangements

2010s · Country

Ryan Bingham

Gritty, lived-in voice telling tales of wandering and hardship

2000s · Americana

Sturgill Simpson

Independent country artist blending traditional sounds with personal authenticity

2010s · Alt-Country

Key influences explained

Jason Isbell

Bryan's narrative songwriting and emotional vulnerability directly echo Isbell's confessional style, particularly the raw honesty found on albums like 'Southeastern.' Both artists craft songs that function as personal essays set to music, using specific details and place names to create universal emotional resonance. Isbell's influence is most evident in Bryan's ability to transform personal pain into precise, affecting verse.

Townes Van Zandt

The sparse, acoustic-driven arrangements on Bryan's early releases like 'DeAnn' mirror Van Zandt's minimalist approach to folk songwriting. Bryan adopts Van Zandt's technique of letting melody serve the story rather than overshadowing it, creating space for his conversational vocal delivery. This influence shapes Bryan's understanding that sometimes the most powerful songs require nothing more than guitar, voice, and truth.

Chris Stapleton

Stapleton's success bridging traditional country with rock sensibilities provided a blueprint for Bryan's genre-fluid approach on albums like 'American Heartbreak.' Both artists demonstrate how authentic songwriting can transcend radio formats, using blues-inflected guitar work and soul-influenced vocal phrasing. Stapleton's crossover success showed Bryan that artistic integrity and commercial appeal weren't mutually exclusive.

Context

Zach Bryan emerged from the post-Sturgill Simpson wave of alternative country that rejected Nashville's pop-country orthodoxy in the mid-2010s. His military background and Oklahoma roots positioned him within the broader Americana revival that valued storytelling over production polish. Bryan's rise coincided with streaming platforms democratizing music distribution, allowing independent artists to bypass traditional industry gatekeepers. This technological shift enabled his raw, unvarnished recordings to find audiences hungry for authenticity in an increasingly manufactured genre landscape.

Legacy

Bryan's massive streaming success has inspired a new generation of bedroom folk and indie country artists who prioritize honest songwriting over studio polish. Artists like Zach Top and Noah Kahan have adopted Bryan's template of combining confessional lyrics with stripped-down production. His influence extends beyond country music, showing indie rock and folk artists that vulnerability and regional specificity can achieve mainstream success without compromising artistic vision.

Why it matters

Understanding Bryan's influences reveals how he synthesized decades of American folk tradition into a distinctly modern voice that speaks to digital-native audiences. His debt to confessional songwriters like Isbell and Van Zandt illuminates why his seemingly simple songs carry such emotional weight and cultural resonance. Recognizing these connections helps listeners appreciate how Bryan's work continues a lineage of American storytelling while adapting it for contemporary anxieties and experiences.

About this page

Music like Zach Bryan — Zach Bryan is a Navy veteran turned singer-songwriter who exploded into country music with deeply personal, acoustic-driven songs recorded in makeshift settings. His authentic storytelling and stripped-down approach has resonated with millions, proving that genuine artistry can cut through industry polish to reach listeners directly.

Artists like Zach Bryan today include Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton. If you enjoy Zach Bryan, these artists share similar sonic qualities, influences, and emotional range.

Bands like Zach Bryan and songs like Zach Bryan are among the most searched music discovery queries — rootz.guru goes deeper by tracing the roots of the sound itself, not just surface-level similarity.