To Hudson Westbrook, being loyal to his home state of Texas is important both on and off the stage. With his debut album Texas Forever out now, the rising artist shares how staying true to his roots shapes everything he does.
That commitment to the Lone Star State comes through loud and clear when Westbrook talks about how he approaches his live shows and his songwriting.
“So, loyalty to Texas would mean, so to me, I’ll never run tracks in my songs. It’s going to be real drums, real everything. And if I can’t stop my live band in the middle of the show without a track playing, then I’m done making music. I don’t like tracks…Do whatever you want, whatever, but not hating. And then just melodies matter a lot, and topic of songs,” he told Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen on Today’s Country Radio.
Westbrook also wears his roots with pride by starching his jeans but stays true to his own style by often skipping out on donning a cowboy hat. For him, being a true Texan ultimately isn’t determined by what you wear or the way you sing, what’s really important is always showing up for the communities of his home state when tragedy strikes.
He is currently putting his words to action by donating all proceeds from his merch sales through the end of July to Kerr County flood victims via the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. Plus, he’s made it a point on his newest record to not just say he’s country but rather to show it through his lyrics.
“That’s loyalty to Texas. It’s not… A lot of times people are like, ‘Texan brah, come on.’ I think it’s more. There’s a certain thing that if you’re from Texas, you don’t say that you’re country. You know what I mean? You don’t have to say… Nothing on my album is like, ‘I’m country.’ It’s like, ‘I’m drinking beer on a…’ It’s like, ‘Woke up this morning’ in boots and jeans.’ It’s just topics, you know? And I think that’s my favorite thing to write. I mean, if I did like writing about beer drinking, I definitely would sing a song like that. I don’t care,” he admitted.
Westbrook co-wrote each of the 17 tracks on Texas Forever alongside a close-knit group of collaborators. Together, they assembled a collection of songs that perfectly pay tribute to Texas while also representing what the emerging act’s life has looked like over the past year.
Reflecting on finally being able to share the album with the world, Westbrook stated, “It’s super special because you’re like, ‘Dang, I really worked on this since…’ There’s some songs on here from a year and a half ago, you know? And you’re like, these are the headspace I was in when I wrote that song and the headspace I was in when I wrote this song. And it’s so weird how life changes and how you look back on your album. I mean, it is who I am now, but just why every song was written is so different than why I would write them now.”
A few of the songs he particularly called out for holding new meanings now compared to the time they were written includes the title track and his debut single that’s climbing its way into the Top 10 at country radio, “House Again.”
“I wrote ‘House Again,’ didn’t even think about my I, and then I was like, ‘Hmm, where did that thought stem from?’ Then I’m like, ‘Oh, wow.’ I moved houses when I was seven years old, and then it turned into that. And then ‘Texas Forever’… Flood hits Texas, and now that the flood’s hit, ‘Texas Forever’ means something totally different this week than it ever did,” he explained.
A lot has changed for Hudson Westbrook over the past year. But one thing that will never waver, is his pride for Texas and his knack for writing songs rooted in Red Dirt.
“I’m proud to be from Texas, and I carry that with me everywhere I go. Thank you for everything – Texas Forever,” he shared via press release.
Just before releasing the album, Westbrook crossed off two major bucket list shows. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Tuesday night (7/22), and then delivered his first-ever Nashville headline show at Marathon Music Works on Wednesday (7/23).
He’s set to continue building the momentum on his current headlining 2025 Summer Tour, and will open select dates for Parker McCollum, including a bucket list performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre this Thursday, July 31.
The post Hudson Westbrook Defines Texas Pride His Own Way appeared first on Country Now.
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