Before I get into his excellent new EP, let me reflect on the near meteoric rise of singer-songwriter Drayton Farley. His is a true DIY story and proof that talent, not publicists, sometimes win the day. He started out recording in his home studio with no publicists or street team and no label. He persists on his own but has grown exponentially over the last few years. Just on Spotify alone he currently has over 350 thousand monthly listeners. Two of his songs, “Pitchin’ Fits” and “American Dream” have over 4 million streams each. Not bad for a guy from Woodstock, Alabama blazing his own path. His journey has seen him open for Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson and Promises of the Real, Morgan Wade and Arlo McKinley among others. He is also a 2022 showcasing artist at Americanafest. 2023 will see a full band album produced by Sadler Vaden of the 400 Unit.
2023 is too long to wait for his loyal fans. Thankfully Farley released a new self-recorded EP entitled “Walk Home”. These songs are powerful and personal. For example, on the opener “Dreamer” he sings about the struggle of following his dreams. On the song he confesses “I was born to be a dreamer in this hard up kind of life”. He follows this up with “Ladders” which hearkens back to simpler times when you are younger and laments that “we’re losing touch and time and place climbing all these ladders.” Intelligently written metaphors and insights define Farley’s songs. “Walk Home” is a both a testament to the strength of his songwriting and a signal of more great songs to come from Drayton Farley. His growing fanbase should be excited.
About the author: Chip and his family live in Birmingham, AL. Roll Tide!