From his family farm upbringing on the outskirts of Katy, to seeing his name in lights on venues across the nation, Will Carter’s path to success has sprouted from many seeds rooted here in southeast Texas. “We’d milk goats, tend to cows and sheep, and farm chores in the morning, followed by homeschooling in the afternoon, then back on horseback by the evening. I didn’t fully understand what we had until college, and realized that wasn’t a ‘normal’ upbringing,” Will laughs as he reminisces.
But something that he was also immersed in from an early age was music. As a pint-sized rising star, he was chosen to sing “You’re A Grand Ol’ Flag” for the Sealy Fantasy of Lights festival at the age of 3, a few years later picked up a guitar, and by high school was playing venues, parties, and anywhere else that would have him. “I was hooked. I started playing live music, and just kind of never really stopped,” he says.
But, real life has a way of bringing you back down to Earth. Just when he was setting his sights on honing his craft, at the age of 11, his dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and passed when he was just 13. With his father’s blessing, and mother’s support, he continued to forge ahead in the only way he knew how. Through his music.
He says his early writing inspirations include Chris LeDoux, whom his dad also loved, Mark Chesnutt, the legendary George Strait. But, he also pulled stage energy from the ultimate performer, Garth Brooks. “The whole concept behind our live shows is creating moments,” he says. “To take the audience on a roller coaster ride, letting them feel it, see it, and not just hear it.”
Seeing the lyrics written across his face. Hearing the passion of real life played through each tune. Feeling the electricity of sharing the experience with fans around you. Will understands their live shows bring to life each song every time they hit the stage. A stage he’s shared with his current band lineup since 2021. Bassist Carlos Pineda Avila, lead guitarist Dillan Dostal, Jacob Lee on drums, and fiddler Bino blend together a perfect symphony of writing, recording and performing all the songs together. Something truly special.
After their success with the Texas Country Music Association’s 2024 Single of the Year, “Had Me at Goodbye,” the group is back with their brand new self-titled album. Which means their shows include a fresh live set highlighting singles like “Holdin’ On,” “Hourglass” and “Tracks Run Through My Heart.”
Performing live and creating music will always have a big piece of Will’s heart. And when he’s not on stage or in the recording studio, you can bet Will returns back to his roots. “I love bringing our kids out to our family property now, and watching them enjoy the slower pace, and country lifestyle, like I used to,” he says.
I guess it’s true, you can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country music out of the boy.