“There’s an undeniable thrill that comes along with Wetzel’s music… Wetzel has never been shy about his sins, and on 9 Lives he leans even harder into his misdeeds.”
– Rolling Stone
“nods to R&B and ’70s soft rock amid the echoes of Waylon Jennings and Puddle of Mudd”
–Los Angeles Times
“unvarnished and unfiltered — sonically and lyrically”
– Billboard
“A Rising Music Powerhouse”
– Forbes
“He’s outlaw country in his music and in life”
– GRAMMY.com
“Koe Wetzel is charging at pop stardom like an outside linebacker preparing to sack a quarterback from his blind side.”
– Tennessean
“Koe’s voice, which is objectively phenomenal, while at times raspy and dark in its timbre, always possesses that quintessential twang and clarity that defines country music.”
– Fort Worth Magazine
“This is a sea change for Koe… not only sonically but also a more personal look at who Koe is.”
– Today’s Country with Kelleigh Bannen
“While 9 Lives is ultimately a contradiction of an album – equal parts outrageous and subdued, proud yet self-deprecating, volatile and still virtuous – it's a welcome one.”
– Holler
With fans having already pushed new album 9 Lives to the upper echelons of Apple Music’s album charts during the preorder window, Koe Wetzel’s new Columbia Records project arrived Friday, July 19 with a vengeance. With singles “Sweet Dreams” and “High Road” (with Jessie Murph) debuting at No. 47 and No. 29 respectively on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, Wetzel’s latest offering is connecting with his devout following.
“I’ve never been afraid to say what’s on my mind or get too personal… I kind of do it because I know people out there are going through the same stuff or have gone through the same stuff, and they might not know how to cope with it,” Wetzel shared with “Today’s Country” host Kelleigh Bannen. “I just wanted to be honest with people and just give them the truth. I think that’s why people have related with us and our music so much… It’s kind of like my therapy pretty much; sometimes it’s hard for me to say things so I just take it out through the music.”
Critical acclaim has followed as well, with the album produced predominantly by Gabe Simon (Noah Kahan’s Stick Season) alongside a string of trusted collaborators like Josh Serrato, Amy Allen, Carrie K and Sam Harris (X Ambassadors) earning praise and recognition from Rolling Stone, the Los Angeles Times, NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Billboard, Forbes, GRAMMY.com and more:
Wetzel continues building on the album’s momentum with the release of an official music video for album standout “Hatchet.” Filmed at his lake home in East Texas, which he described in the July/August print issue of American Songwriter as his “sanctuary,” the video brings to life Simon and Mick Coogan’s flowing tangle of how hard love is, embodying the duality of Wetzel as a guy who is fully a man’s man, but also has that romantic tenderness that undermines his machismo.
“I remember hearing that song and really resonating with the lyrics when I was kind of going through the same thing at the time,” remembers Wetzel of the outside cut. “It’s one of those songs you feel like you could have written yourself and I’m really glad it found a home on this project.”
The new music arrives as Wetzel’s substantial catalog continues to resonate, with fan favorite “Good Die Young” off Sellout, his 2020 major label debut, earning RIAA Platinum certification on 9 Lives release day to mark Wetzel’s ninth RIAA-certified hit to date.
For more information on all things Koe Wetzel and to purchase tickets to upcoming shows – including a hometown stadium show as he joins Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour in Arlington, Texas tomorrow, July 26 and his headlining Damn Near Normal World Tour kicking off this Saturday, July 27 – visit KoeWetzelMusic.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook @KoeWetzelMusic, TikTok @Koe_Wetzel and Twitter/X @KoeWetzel.
Photo by John Park / Design by Dalton Latham, Courtesy of Columbia Records
About Koe Wetzel
Koe Wetzel never met a genre wall he couldn’t tear down: The Texas singer-songwriter has earned a rabid audience for his songs that mix country, rock, hip-hop, and even Nineties grunge. His 2016 album Noise Complaint endeared him to fans with its no- holds-barred lyrics about drunken nights, broken hearts and stints in jail, and included the Gold-certified hits “Love” (feat. Parker McCollum), “Something to Talk About” and the infamous “February 28, 2016.” Wetzel’s 2020 major label debut, Sellout, only furthered his legend with the Platinum-certified “Drunk Driving” plus the Gold-certified “Good Die Young” and “Kuntry & Wistern.” The 2022 follow-up, Hell Paso, hit No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Albums and spawned hits on both the country and rock charts, including the Gold-certified “Creeps” and “Cabo.” To date, Wetzel has 2.8 billion total streams and has created a genuine experience with his live concerts, which he describes as “total chaos.” In 2023 alone, he sold more than 275,000 tickets, and appeared for a third time on POLLSTAR’s Top Worldwide Tours. Wetzel will play prominent festival sets this summer and open for Morgan Wallen on the superstar’s One Night at a Time Stadium Tour in Texas, while also headlining his own Damn Near Normal World Tour. His new album, 9 Lives (Columbia), is available everywhere now as lead single “High Road” feat. Jessie Murph arrives as his debut Country radio single.