Tae Lewis doesn't need to reinvent country music. He just needs to remind you what made you love it in the first place. With a sound he describes as a blend of Eddie Rabbitt and Rascal Flatts, a viral social media following, and a new music video that is turning heads across the industry, the independent country artist is making a name for himself
For fans just discovering you, how would you describe your sound?
For the new fans who are just discovering me, "Hey y'all." My sound is very 90s/early 2000s country. I classify myself as a blend of Eddie Rabbitt and Rascal Flatts.
What does "old school country" mean to you personally?
Old school country means classic and hometown nostalgia. I grew up in Goldsboro, NC, around an era of country music that really built the foundation of everything vintage and classic to me.
Walk us through the vision behind the video for "Old School Country Tune." What do you want audiences to feel when they watch it for the first time?
As I began thinking of how I wanted to create this music video, I wanted to build a vision around the good ol' vintage country feel. I wanted to make sure the venue we chose to do the music video had a classic country feel to it, where it reminded me of bars at home in my hometown and near my hometown. As we began to put things together with the venue, I wanted to have a feel of people enjoying the music in the background. So I chose to get some dancers to really chase that feel of straight 90s country. As my fans and new fans are watching this music video, I want them to take away a lot of nostalgia but also learn a piece of what I grew up with.
The video features actors from "Yellowstone" and "Tulsa King" as well as country music hitmaker Jamie O'Neal. How did those collaborations come together?
Having Mr. Forrie and Mr. Mike in my music video was such a blessing to me. I got the call from my manager that he had the idea to have them in the music video. At first, I thought they would say no but they insisted on helping because they loved the vision behind the video and loved the song. Jamie has been a great friend of mine for many years now. Since she completely understood what 90s country looked like, I wanted her to be the last piece of the puzzle as a feature for the video.
Gary LeVox {of Rascal Flatts} commented on one of your performance videos with "Bro, you always kill it." What does that kind of recognition from a fellow artist mean to you?
It was a complete shock when I got the notification. It just truly showed me that I'm right where I'm supposed to be in this genre and I'm so grateful to be in this community of great singers like Gary and to also get the accreditation from him is priceless.
How do you define success at this point in your career?
I believe success is perseverance. It honestly means to never give up and to never get blindsided on the vision or calling that God has on your life. Sooner or later, the perseverance is going to pay off to lead to success.
What's next for you — new music, more touring, bigger stages?
On September 18th, I will be releasing a new album that will consist of songs I've had in the vault for about three years now. The team and I are currently working on getting some tour dates to build around the album release as well as working with local and national companies in helping promote their brands as well.
What do you love about Franklin?
What I most love about Franklin is the history behind it. It's inspiring, and it just gives me a chance to hang out and have fun and enjoy life. I also love the farming and hiking scenery. Franklin has two of my favorite spots to hike. I'm usually very active while I’m on the road and at home. One of my favorite places to hike is Garrison Creek Park and Preservation Park, which are in Thompson's Station but are very close to Franklin.
@taelewis_
"Sooner or later, the perseverance is going to pay off to lead to success."
Catch Tae Live:
September 11 - Savannah, GA
October 3 - San. Antonio, TX
More Dates Coming Soon!