Meet Country Music’s Next Big Thing: Raleigh Keegan
If you are a fan of country music, a new singer is on the rise, Raleigh Keegan. Keegan is a 28-year-old who was born in Ohio and moved to Kentucky about ten years ago.
When asked how he first got into music, he replied saying his mother started him with piano lessons at an early age. He recalled a memory of going on a road trip with a piano when he was younger, saying he played it most of the trip and the rest became history. Keegan’s inspirations come from a lot of the older singers like Tom Petty and Billy Joel. He also looks to country singers Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, and the Zac Brown Band for inspiration. Keegan recalled that the Zac Brown Band’s album, Uncaged, is the reason he was drawn to country music. Some of his other favorite albums include Wild Flower by Tom Petty and Traveller by Chris Stapleton.
On January 25, 2018, Keegan’s first six-song EP, One of These Days, was released on every platform from Google Play to iTunes and Spotify. When asked about his favorite song on the EP, he actually gave three answers. “ ‘Keep Lovin’ Me is probably my favorite. It always gets me. It’s a really honest song,” Keegan commented. Fan favorite would have to be “Other Way Around”. He also thinks that playing “Lookin’ Like That” is a favorite to play.
Keegan has plans to work with people from Europe, which he is really excited about. He is interested in getting his music out to all of his fans. “Being able to get to the states and areas that he hasn’t been to, yet [is a goal for this year],” his manager, Julee Seymour commented. Keegan would love to collaborate with Chris Stapleton and Eric Church in the future.
Keegan’s new single, “Lookin’ Like That”, is now playing on the radio. “Call the local radio stations and request it!” Keegan exclaimed. Along with his 45, 257 monthly listeners, the new single, “Lookin’ Like That”, reached 100,000 streams on Spotify. When asked how he feels about the listeners and the 100,000 streams, he commented, “Feels really good. We put so much work into what we do… No one really knows how many hours go into planning except the immediate team and their family. It’s amazing. We’re grateful to be in the industry.”
At this point in his life, Keegan feels he is still being discovered. “I signed with Julee not even a year ago.” They are still in the process of getting discovered by country fans. “We’re new to this game and the truth is, we’re coming in strong…. Awesome, loyal fans, but we’re building it one person at a time. Each person is equally important.”
His manager, Julee Seymour of Smokeshow Entertainment commented saying, “He’s holding his own in the industry without label backing [which means he definitely has a bright future]”.
When asked about his hobbies or any other instruments that he can play besides guitar and piano, Keegan replied with some interesting answers. He recalled that he used to pay the trombone, though he has not played in years. As for hobbies, he loves craft beer and bourbon. He also said he likes to play basketball and ping pong. His wife’s name is Shelby and he said she is a complete trooper and his main support system.
To learn more about Raleigh Keegan and his music, look him up on Spotify, Google Play, iTunes, or SoundCloud, or follow him on social media. His twitter handle is @RaleighKeegan and his Instagram is raleighkeegan.