From the time Carlton Anderson heard George Strait’s “Blue Clear Sky” coming over the radio airwaves, he was hooked by the things that make country music great: a good voice singing a great song that is doused in steel guitar and fiddle.
After winning a karaoke contest in his late-teens, Anderson had the confidence to chase the same musical dreams that his heroes had chased. That led the Texas native to Nashville, where he eventually earned a publishing deal, and soon, a record deal.
At a time when country music had veered away from traditional sounds, Anderson’s debut single, “Drop Everything,” was a breath of fresh air. Two more songs followed, before the album he’d recorded was shelved and he began forging his path independently.
Following the release of several singles, Anderson briefly stepped away from releasing music to focus on his family. Now, with the release of his first single in a year and a half, “Boots By The Door,” he has a host of music ready to release throughout 2026.
Anderson’s musical journey begins, though, with The King of Country and other soon-to-be heroes on the radio.
“One of the first memories I have was hearing ‘Blue Clear Sky’ in the backseat driving down 290 in Texas,” Anderson recalls. “At that time, it was the usuals in country music for me. There was a lot of Tracy Lawrence, George Jones and Johnny Cash.”
Though he’d spawned musical dreams early in his life, it wasn’t until winning that karaoke competition that those dreams were set in motion.
“I always wanted to do music, but it wasn’t something you did where I come from. My family was a lot of working and military people. There wasn’t a lot of room for dreaming. It was all about going to work. I went to work in an oil field and had a bunch of odd jobs,” says Anderson. “What kickstarted music was winning a karaoke contest at a bar when I was 17. I won 250 bucks. In that couple hours, I’d made more than I did in a full day of working.”
Simultaneously, Anderson was trying his hand at writing songs.
“People listen for different things in a song. I’ve always been attached to lyrics first,” Anderson admits. “When I picked up the guitar, I would learn a George Strait, Willie Nelson or Keith Whitley song, then start writing my own songs. Once I had the guitar, it really opened up the flood gates.”
Eventually, after moving to Nashville, Anderson earned a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell and was getting paid to write songs.
“It was overwhelming, coming from where I come from, to see it actually happening. I couldn’t believe that I had something to do after I graduated college, because there were a lot of people that didn’t,” says Anderson. “It’s such a blessing to say that you’re a staff songwriter.”
The blessings continued when Anderson landed a record deal with Arista Nashville/Sony in 2017.
“Ben Gallaher is a great guitarist, and he introduced me to Jim Catino, who was the head of A&R for Sony at the time, and it snowballed from there,” says Anderson. “Jim helped me secure a developmental deal, at first, which they called the ‘artist protection program.’ I didn’t know if I was ever going to get that opportunity again, so I thought I’d better sign the deal.”
Anderson entered the studio with producer Phil O’Donnell to record his debut project for the label.
“I was mind-blown. We were at Blackbird Studio recording with the best of the best; guys I grew up listening to on records, like Paul Franklin and Lonnie Wilson,” says Anderson. “You have all of these world-class musicians, and it’s easy to get in the headspace of ‘what the hell am I doing and how did I get here?’ I soaked everything up like a sponge.”
Just a few days prior to the session, Anderson heard a song that would soon serve as his introduction to country music fans.
“A true artist hears a song, and regardless of what it sounds like, can hear what it can sound like for them. That’s what ‘Drop Everything’ was to me. The demo sounded like ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ by Michael Jackson,” Anderson says with a laugh. “Being from Texas, I knew that it had a danceable beat. I knew it would make people tap their toes and bob their heads, and that’s what radio likes. When we went in to record it, we turned it into a honky tonk, dancehall deal with steel, fiddle and everything else.”
That honky tonkin’, dancehall deal gave Anderson the opportunity to hear himself on the radio for the first time.
“It happened in Phoenix. I’m a big Waylon Jennings fan, and he got his start in Phoenix, so I thought it was a cool Texan moment that he popped off out there and that they were the first station to play my song,” says Anderson. “Me, Phil [O’Donnell] and my radio rep were leaving the station in a minivan. They turned up the radio. It was an amazing thing to hear. It was hard to believe.”
Eight months passed between the release of “Drop Everything” and Anderson’s next releases, “Country Music Made Me Do It” and “Keep Abilene Beautiful.”
“We had a whole recorded recorded. They pushed the first single, but decided to pull it, which let the steam out of it,” says Anderson. “They said they loved the record, but then they were sending me back in to record more. We ended up putting the next two songs out. They never went to radio with either one.”
Despite frustration with the business side of his career, the same day those two new songs were released, Anderson made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
“A dream of mine was to make my Opry debut at the Ryman. That building and the Opry are so important,” says Anderson. “It’s the easiest room I’ve ever sang in. It does all the work for you. It felt like it was effortless that night. It was truly amazing.”
As he left the stage, an Opry legend stopped Anderson and convinced him to take in the moment.
“They gave me a standing ovation as I was walking off stage. I thought, as a new guy, I needed to get out of the way,” Anderson says with a laugh. “Larry Gatlin grabbed me, pulled me back out and said, ‘When they’re standing up, you’re supposed to stand there!’ I stood there for a minute and watched. It was something special.”
Within a week of his new releases and Opry debut, Anderson earned his first major-label cut, as well, when Cody Johnson recorded “Where Cowboys Are King.”
“That is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever been a part of. To have a guy like Cody, who knows that life, cut it, is special. He was 45 minutes down the road from where I grew up. I looked up to him. We wrote the song for George Strait. If you heard the demo against what Cody did to it, it’s a totally different song!” says Anderson. “I was hanging out with Ian Munsick one night. We might’ve been a little messed up, but I got a call, out of the blue, from Cody’s manager, Howie. He told me to come down to the studio, because Cody had just cut the song. I had to sober up really quick, because there was no way I was going to say no! I walked in, and the board room was like a honky tonk. They had it cranked up, and Cody was dancing around.”
Within a few months of releasing “Country Music Made Me Do It” and “Keep Abilene Beautiful,” though, Anderson and Sony/Arista parted ways.
“Just before Covid, in the summer of 2019, we decided to go our separate ways and be independent from there,” says Anderson. “We’d recorded a whole record, but I was able to get a couple of the songs back, so there were no hard feelings. It was cool of them to give me that as a parting gift.”
One of those songs, “When Baby Gets a Buzz,” was released soon after Anderson began forging his path independently.
“It was important for me to keep going. I didn’t understand the independent game, so I was trying to figure it out as I went,” says Anderson. “I had the music, so I was going to keep feeding the monster.”
Anderson continued feeding that monster with five more single releases, as well as a fantastic acoustic EP, Yours, before taking a year and a half away to focus on his family.
“I thought it was selfish to be putting money and time into music if I wasn’t going to have much in return. I was still making money, but my touring income started going dry because I wasn’t on the road playing the shows that I once was,” says Anderson. “I went to work on a horse ranch. They’re race horses, which is different from what I’m used to. Its been a great learning experience for me to broaden my horse and training knowledge.”
In April, Anderson returned with a new single, “Boots By The Door.”
“That song seemed like a good one to re-introduce with. It catches the listener up on what I’ve been doing and where I’ve been,” says Anderson. “It’s a continuation, because the sound hasn’t changed.”
Originally written to be recorded by his co-writer, Ian Munsick, Anderson gave the song his own touch when it came time to record.
“When we wrote it, it had a more laidback, country-pop feel that fit Ian a little better. We wrote it in 2023. He had his boy, but I hadn’t had my son yet. It took on a different meaning to me when I had my boy,” says Anderson. “It sat around for a while. I hit Ian up and asked if he had any plans for it, and he told me to cut it. My wife really likes that song, and if you’re a smart man, you cut your wife’s favorite song! [laughs].”
For his next release, Anderson plans on delivering a good-timing drinking song.
“It’ll be called ‘Drinkin’ Like This.’ I wrote it back in 2017 with Phil [O’Donnell] and Marv Green. At one time, Marv had the most intimidating office in Nashville to write in, because he had all his plaques with George Strait and Lonestar number ones on the wall!” Anderson says with a laugh. “I had the idea hit me one night, and they loved it. We made it into a two-steppin’, feel-good song.”
After “Drinkin’ Like This,” Anderson has a host of additional releases planned, as well.
“We have ‘She’s Got a Saddle’ and ‘Her Side, His Side and The Truth,’ too. Then I’m debating on an outside song, and I want to do an acoustic version of a gospel song. Hopefully, my boy will agree to sing on it with me,” says Anderson. “My wife [Alyssa Michaela] and I have a duet coming out this year, too, that we’re fired up about. We wrote it together. We never thought we’d see the day that, not only are we married to another singer, but we’re writing and singing a song together!”
Now, seven years removed since the release of his three-song, major label EP, Anderson has plans on returning to the stage, and moves forward with a newfound confidence.
“Over the years, I’ve learned that there’s a right time to trust your gut and lean on your instincts. And there’s a wrong time to do it, too. It’s okay to speak up and to feel like you belong in rooms, because you wouldn’t be there if you didn’t belong,” says Anderson. “I’m just a guy from Cypress, Texas. I should be somewhere turning a wrench. But this is where I belong.”
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