One of the most perplexing things about the Country Music business is how some artists who are seemingly destined to become stars don't breakthrough with songs that were perfect for country radio. This is the plight that afflicted Ash Bowers while signed to Stoney Creek Records. He managed to get strong singles "Stuck" and "Ain't No Stopping Her Now" to scrape the Top 45 of the charts yet somehow the Jackson, TN native never found the right song to connect with country radio. Perhaps, then, this new start with Wide Open Music Group is just what was needed for Ash Bowers to break through.

Blessed with a natural twang that works well with uptempo tunes and that's exactly what "Red" is. Written by Adam Craig, Derek George and Tim Owens, "Red" has a Southern Rock melody which is married to a lyric about the narrator's country roots. Yes, this means "Red" means "redneck" but it's more about being from a place and lifestyle than a specific location. Vocally Bowers reminds me of a younger Chris Cagle and like Cagle, he's able to connect with a lyric, even if he didn't write it (he's the writer of "Let's Not Let It" from Randy Houser's How Country Feels album).  

"Red" is ready for country radio and certainly fits current sounds of the charts and it's more than a paint-by-numbers effort about dirt roads and trucks and that hopefully is enough to break through. It's a genuine statement from an artist born into the lifestyle he sings about on "Red." 

Listen to Ash Bowers' "Red" here:

Ash Bowers - Red by RoughstockCountry

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