Randall King

A proud throwback to classic country — George Strait is a touchstone, in particular — Randall King began carving out a cult following in his native Texas with the independently released 2016 Another Bullet EP before putting up big streaming numbers with his eponymous 2018 debut. The album earned him a major-label deal with Warner Nashville, which issued his follow-up, Shot Glass, in 2022.
A son of a trucker, King grew up in the small West Texas town of Hereford, with Strait, Keith Whitley, and Merle Haggard playing in his household. Once he came of age, he moved to Lubbock in 2009 with the intent of getting a business degree from Texas Tech. While at college, he heard such local acts as Josh Abbott and decided to start playing music himself. Two years later, he transferred to South Plains College, where he studied music production while also playing music on his own. He formed an Americana group called the Randall King Band, which released an album called Old Dirt Road before splitting. King then decided to go it alone and sing traditional country.
He released the EP Another Bullet in 2016. Two years later, he issued “Tuggin’ on My Heartstrings,” along with his independent self-titled debut album. The record was enough of a success to earn King a spot on Warner Music Nashville’s roster. His first EP for the label, 2020′s Leanna, yielded another streaming hit in the thoughtful “Takin’ It as It Comes,” and over the next year he began teasing his next LP with songs like “Record High” and “You in a Honky Tonk,” doubling down on his traditionalist country bent. King’s sophomore album, Shot Glass, was released in early 2022. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine