Koe Wetzel, the chart-topping renegade whose electrifying blend of Red Dirt country, grunge rock and outlaw spirit has earned him a loyal following across the globe, kicks off 2025 as this week’s POLLSTAR cover artist. Highlighting Wetzel’s meteoric rise and his unparalleled connection with fans, the profile explores how the Texas-born artist has reshaped the boundaries of country music with his unapologetic authenticity and relentless touring schedule.
From headlining sold-out shows at iconic venues like Red Rocks and throughout Europe to making history with his latest album 9 Lives and five-week No. 1 lead single “High Road (feat. Jessie Murph),” Wetzel has proven that his unique “hillbilly punk rock” sound resonates far beyond the genre’s traditional limits.
“This tour, we had a lot of new fans who weren’t used to how hard we go. I could see it on their faces,” Wetzel shares in the cover story celebrating the “under-the-radar superstar.” “People leave going, ‘That was a lot.’ But they love everything about it.”
“Koe doesn’t hold back onstage,” added manager Jeb Hurt. “He says outlandish things. He cusses. He tells wild stories. Fans respect that and have come to expect it from him. They look forward to Koe’s shows, because it’s an opportunity to be yourself and not worry about who’s watching or listening.”
AEG’s Adam Weisser echoed Wetzel’s fan-first mentality, recounting a time when his drummer missed a flight to a show – something that would push most artists to postpone or cancel. “Koe had the best idea,” he shared with POLLSTAR. “He said ‘Refreshments are on me. Go get beers. Go get whatever. I’m buying the concessions. I’m coming back in 15 minutes, and I’m gonna play.”
“Koe didn’t build it from TikTok or one radio hit,” noted Chicago-based promoter Ed Warm, who has booked him multiple times on progressively larger stages, from Joe’s on Weed St. and Joe’s Rosemont to now headlining the 2025 Windy City Smokeout. “It was one fan at a time, one city at a time, but everywhere he played, they came back with three or four friends. That first time he played (for us), I was energized. I thought, ‘This is different. This isn’t your dad’s Red Dirt music, it’s a seismic shift in how the music’s going. But it fits how raw and real and genuine Red Dirt is.’”
His music has resonated overseas, too, with BBC Radio 2’s “Country Show” producer Mark Hagen adding, “What Koe does very well is not be any one thing – not a straight up country player, not a Southern rocker, not a metalhead, but a bit of all those at once. Historically, that really appeals to the UK audience accustomed to the idea that genre is not as important as the quality of your songs… We have a fondness for acts who have a distinct character to them. Koe certainly has that. You can’t mistake him for anyone else.”
Following the landmark success of 2024, Wetzel is already gearing up for another high-throttle year on the road, with upcoming headlining shows at the San Antonio Rodeo, Windy City Smokeout, Tailgate N’ Tallboys and more, plus prominent sets at Stagecoach and CMC Rocks (Australia) and more exciting tour news coming soon.
For more information, visit KoeWetzelMusic.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook @KoeWetzelMusic, TikTok @Koe_Wetzel and Twitter/X @KoeWetzel.
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. With his defining fifth studio album, 9 Lives, released in 2025 via Columbia Records, Wetzel earned recognition on several major year-end best-of lists, including Rolling Stone, Billboard, the Tennessean and more, with the Los Angeles Times naming lead single “High Road” (feat. Jessie Murph) as the No. 8 best song of 2024 across all genres. The single not only marked Wetzel’s debut at Country radio, it also held the No. 1 spot for five weeks and became his fastest song to reach the RIAA Platinum milestone to date. Previously, 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” plus the infamous “February 28, 2016.” Wetzel’s 2020 major label debut, Sellout, only furthered his legend with the Platinum-certified “Drunk Driving” and “Good Die Young” plus the Gold-certified “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 amassed 3.7 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, appearing for a third time on POLLSTAR’s Top Worldwide Tours. Wetzel again performed for well over 200,000 fans across the U.S. in Europe in 2024, with over 96% of all headline tickets sold, in addition to playing prominent festival sets and opening for Morgan Wallen on the superstar’s One Night at a Time Stadium Tour.
