Jordan Rager just may be future of country music. Only twenty-two years old, he has already signed a recording deal with Broken Bow Records; toured with artists such as Justin Moore, Randy Houser and Kip Moore; and released his first single, a duet with none other than Jason Aldean. We caught up with the “Southern Boy” crooner as he gets ready for one of the biggest years of his life.
Like many country artists, Rager grew up singing in a choir alongside his father, who was the pastor of the church they attended. Chaperoned by his mother, who he says was his biggest fan and supporter, he played any gig that would have him. “If I was playing at club or bar, the few I did get into, my mom would have to call the manager ahead of time and swear up and down that I am not a trouble maker, and she would sit right in the front row and walk me right back out after I played,” he says, addressing the challenges of being only fourteen years old and singing in the club/bar scene. He credits his parents for helping to achieve the many goals he has already set for himself. “My parents never complained or asked for money – they were always very willing to do whatever it took to let me do what I wanted to do.”
Another important mentor in his life, Barry Williams, who is Jason Aldean’s father, guided him during those early years of developing his sound. Rager discussed how signing a recording contract with Broken Bow Records has been a “dream come true,” explaining how Broken Bow is one big family and how he felt right at home there.
You may have heard his first single “Southern Boy,” a duet with Jason Aldean, but you may not have known it was written in tribute to a terminally ill teenager, Cameron, who grew up in a town not far from where Rager grew up in Georgia. Co-written by Jeremy Stover, Luke Laird, and Barry Dean, “Southern Boy” may sound like a standard “bro country” song about Friday nights and kissing southern belles; however, the deeper meaning hopes to draw fans of all country music into the back story. Rager tells us that although he never met Cameron, he has become close with his mom since her son’s passing. Cameron was the same old southern boy even after he was diagnosed with cancer, leaving a legacy in Rager’s song. “I don’t think they wanted to write a song that was like ‘oh this poor kid, life is cruel and the world sucks,’ I think the writers wanted it to be an inspirational message,” he says. Recently getting the opportunity to visit with children with cancer at St. Jude’s Hospital, he felt the impact that the song may have. “Shortly after we recorded the song I lost my grandmother to pancreatic cancer, and the words came up again in my life and spoke to me, keep carrying on,” he says. “Southern people are the strongest people and they can be knocked down and put through anything and they will pull themselves up by their boot straps.” For Rager, that’s the meaning of the song: live your life to the fullest and keep on keeping on.
A new generation of younger country artists are emerging and from the looks of them, they all want the same thing; to relate to fans their age and to make the kind of music that they feel can be an escape. In discussing the term “young country,” Rager explains there is a period in an your life, whether it be after high school or during college, when you move into adult life. That is where his lyrics will hit home, with kids transitioning into adulthood. “It’s for the younger demographic that is listening to music nowadays and they just need a little release from the real world,” he says. “I write about the stuff that I know, and the stuff that I know is just 22 years of life.”
Thanking Justin Moore for giving him so many opportunities thus far, he has learned so much about the music scene and how to treat people under his guidance. Opening for Moore back in 2013, he understood that treating your fans, your peers and your crew with utmost respect is extremely important in this industry. Rager has also opened for Kip Moore, Randy Houser and Rodney Atkins.
For over two years he has been writing and recording for his debut album, due out later this year. He tells us some of the songs on the record will be some of the first he ever wrote when he got to Nashville. He will continue touring and building his fan base in 2016 and is looking forward to releasing an album this year.
Check out Jordan on social media: Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.