Before last fall, music was a “pipe dream” for Brennan Clements. Then, everything changed.
A viral cover of Bruce Robison’s “Travelin’ Soldier” set Clements’ musical wheels in motion. Now, just over half a year later, he’s earned a publishing deal, he’s sharing writing rooms with songwriting royalty, and notched two releases to his belt, including his fiddle and steel-filled latest release, “Why Are You Cryin’,” which has caught over 100,000 ears in under a month.
As he prepares to release a special new single, “Folded Flag,” soon, we chatted with Clements about growing up in a musical family, his viral success on social media, his releases thus far and more!
Pro Country: You’ve mentioned drawing influence from artists your parents listened to like Randy Travis, Keith Whitley and George Strait. What was it about the traditional sounds of country music that struck a chord with you so early in your life?
Brennan Clements: The people I looked up to the most: my dad, my grandparents and my great grandparents, looked up to those people, musically. It’s a sense of nostalgia when I think about riding around in a truck with my family and what was one the radio. There’s a good chance it was George Strait and one of his sixty-something number one hits [laughs].
PC: You come from a musical family, and you’ve said you started singing nearly as early as you could talk. What did you like about expressing yourself that way, and what were some of the early songs you remember singing along to?
BC: Everyone in my family did it: my dad, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents. My great grandmother just passed away a few weeks ago, and she sang at her own funeral, because we had a video of her singing “Go Rest High on That Mountain.”
As a kid, I saw everybody doing it, so I thought that’s what everybody did. I started singing what they were singing. One of my favorites was “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.” My great grandpa used to put on a Willie Nelson wig any time we’d sing a Willie song [laughs].
I didn’t realize there were people that didn’t sing until I was nine or ten years-old.
PC: When did you pick up the guitar, and when did you start singing in front of people?
BC: I started singing in front of people at a very young age. My great grandparents had a metal building that we call the “Party Barn.” We’d have all our family reunions there. We had a stage with a sound system set up. When we’d have those gatherings, as early as three or four years-old, I’d be pulling on their pant leg asking to get up and sing.
Guitar came later. I started singing on my church’s worship team during my sophomore year of high school. I didn’t pick up a guitar until I decided I wanted to start writing; I’d gotten tired of writing songs with just my voice. One Christmas, I asked my mom for a guitar, and she got me a really affordable acoustic guitar, and I played it until it couldn’t be played anymore.
PC: You began sporadically posting performances on social media before a cover of “Travelin’ Soldier” went viral. What was it like to see the life that video had and to have so many new eyes on you?
BC: It was surreal. I’d made posts before, and there was never really an expectation for them. I just thought that I’d never be known if I didn’t put myself out there. When that video connected and I woke up the next morning to all of the views it had, it was surreal because it was a number on the screen, but that number was really big [laughs]. I had to put it in perspective: like I could fill Death Valley in Baton Rouge with that many viewers. It was unbelievable.
You want to chase that again. You don’t do things for views, but you keep putting yourself out there, because you never know what’s going to connect.
PC: You’ve since accrued millions of views, and you’ve said music became a legitimate career path last fall. What was it like to come to that realization that music was something you could feasibly pursue?
BC: It was a dream come true. As a kid born to teen parents who were also born to teen parents, it was understood that you have to become an adult when you turn 18. For me, that meant enlisting in the International Guard, getting a real job and starting to be a productive member of society. Music was just a hobby. Having the amount of attention that those videos last fall got was a dream come true. Then, I got a call from Warner Chappell saying they wanted to schedule a week’s worth of writes. They ended up offering me a publishing deal. Until that point, it was just a pipe dream.
PC: How encouraging has Warner Chappell’s belief in your talent been, and what has it been like to join a roster of so many world-class songwriters?
BC: It’s kind of weird. Having grown up listening to guys like Rhett Akins and then sitting in a room with him is pretty wild. Especially with how fast it was. I started gaining traction on social media in August or September, and by November, I was sitting in a room with Rhett Akins. People talk about imposter syndrome, and it’s a real thing. You feel like “I don’t know why I’m the one sitting here today.” It can only be described as a God thing.
PC: In mid-March, you released your debut single, “Meet In Amarillo.” What emotions came with releasing music into the world for the first time, and why did you feel “Meet In Amarillo” was the right introduction?
BC: When I was at basic training, my now-fiancé, Abby, was in her senior year of high school. The only way we could communicate was through letters. I was in Austin, Texas writing with Jamison Eddleman, and he had that title. I brought up how things were with Abby and I, and we wrote it like a love letter of trying to get back to the same place. He liked the idea, and we got the song done pretty quickly
To be able to get in the studio and get it out there is scary. It’s like having a baby and you’re showing it to everybody. You might think it’s cute, but people might tell you it’s cute, even if it’s not [laughs]. You always have the question in your mind if people will like it. I had to tell myself that the song was going to do what it was going to do, and as long as I’m happy with it, I’d be good with it.
PC: You co-wrote your new single, “Why Are You Cryin’,” with Rhett Akins and Jessi Alexander. Can you take us in the room and talk about how the song came together?
BC: I’ve always written down titles, and I had that one in my Notes app since about 2020. It was originally “What Are You Cryin’ For.” That morning was wild. I got sent the wrong address for where the write was supposed to be. I’m the kind of person that likes to be 15 minutes early to a writing session so I can sit in the room, get my thoughts together and grab some coffee. I was at the wrong place, 15 minutes early, and I found out the right place was exactly 15 minutes away. I made it right on time, and I was freaking out, because I thought I was making Rhett Akins and Jessi Alexander wait on me. Thankfully, as I was walking up the stairs of the building, I heard a truck pull in on two wheels, and Rhett got out. He asked who I was writing with, and said “you!”
Jessi was running late too. Rhett and I sat in the room for about 45 minutes just talking about wildlife management and deer hunting. By the time she walked in, we had started “What Are You Cryin’ For,” and she sat down and started playing the guitar part that is now “Why Are You Cryin’.” Once she switched it to that, we had the song done in about 45 minutes.
PC: In just a few weeks since its release, “Why Are You Cryin’” has earned well over 100,000 streams across platforms. How encouraging has the response to the song been in the immediate aftermath of its release?
BC: It’s super encouraging. It’s nice to know that people think the baby’s cute! [laughs]. You get the relief of thinking something is good, and it might actually be good. I’m super grateful for everybody that’s listened to it. I’ve gotten a ton of messages from people who say they love the song.
PC: Along with Rhett and Jessi, you’ve shared writing rooms with heavy hitters like Wendell Mobley, Tony Martin, Roger Springer and Mark Irwin. What is it like to sit in a writing room, and to collaborate, with people who have penned some of the biggest hits in country music?
BC: It’s unbelievable. You do have to realize, though, that they are regular people too. It’s really easy to idolize people like that. You eventually realize that you can just talk to Rhett about deer hunting. I appreciate the significance of the things that they’ve done for country music, but it’s been great to develop relationships with them. Getting to eat turkey at Roger Springer’s house is the kind of thing that I’ll always remember and be thankful for.
PC: In a previous interview, we’ve heard you mention a lot of music coming down the pipeline. What information, if any, can you give about what will follow “Why Are you Cryin’”? What can listeners expect to hear?
BC: We have a song called “Folded Flag” that we’ve been working on. The song means a lot to me, and I’m really excited about it. It’s based on true stories: the first verse talks about the first time I saw my dad cry, which was in his blues at my granddad’s funeral. The Navy Color Guard folded his flag, presented it to my great grandma, and she walked it over to my dad. He saluted, took the flag, and started crying. That memory stuck with me.
The chorus talks about him and my stepdad being gone. They both did 20-plus years in the Air Force and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. There’s a feeling of not knowing if they’re coming back. One of the scariest things I remember is my dad being at Al-Asad Airbase in 2020 after we’d killed an Iranian general. The Iranians retaliated and shot missiles at Al-Asad. All that I got was the headline from one of the news outlets that those missiles had been fired at that base. We went hours without knowing if they were okay. Thankfully, the church I was going to in Montana was having a prayer service, and in the middle of the service, my dad was able to send a quick message that said “I’m good.”
The second verse talks about seeing my mom cry. The whole song is a bunch of true stories about seeing my dad and stepdad go overseas. It’s one of those things where a lot of people will relate to it, because a lot of people have immediate family members in the military, and even more have distant family in the military.
PC: In July, you have two dates on the books opening for Flatland Cavalry. How excited are you to share the stage with Flatland and to play for their fans?
BC: Flatland is one of my favorite bands. They’re one of the biggest reasons I started posting. They played at Dickies Arena on New Year’s Eve in 2024 going into 2025. While we were there, my girlfriend told me that I need to start posting, because I can do what they’re doing. Now, a year and a half later, I’m getting the opportunity to share the stage with them. It’s a full-circle moment for me. It’s another God thing. I can see His hands all over it.
PC: With “Why Are You Cryin’” now released and “Folded Flag” on the way, what do you have planned for the rest of 2026?
BC: We’re looking at booking a lot more shows. We’re working with a booking agent now. We’re getting some stuff on the schedule. One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is playing for the people that have been playing my music already. Now, they can put a face to a name, and I can thank them in person.
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