KOE WETZEL’S NEW SINGLE “DAMN NEAR NORMAL”
OUT NOW VIA COLUMBIA RECORDS
Today’s release of “Damn Near Normal” signifies the first new music from Platinum-selling singer-songwriter Koe Wetzel as POLLSTAR’s “red dirt sensation” gears up to follow the success of 2022’s Hell Paso. The track is accompanied by an official video directed by John Park that finds Koe back in his childhood home reminiscing on the past.
The new release epitomizes what MusicRow celebrates as a “disruptive attitude and the refreshing blend of musical influences” from “the genre-bending Texas native making his own rules” with signs of Country, Rock and Americana all present across the four-minute track.
“Damn Near Normal” is a song about this lifestyle that is anything but,” reflects Wetzel. “Waking up somewhere new on the road every day, up playing music all hours of the night with our fans… this is a wild ride we’re on that looks totally different than most people’s ‘normal’ … but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Real job, good wife, two kids / Don’t know what exit I missed / And this road I’m on, is kinda dark alone,” he sings in the bare-truths song’s open. “Fake job, no wife, no kids / Can’t believe I’m living like this.”
Written by Wetzel alongside Gabe Simon (Lana Del Rey, Noah Kahan, Dua Lipa), Amy Allen (Justin Bieber, The Chainsmokers, Harry Styles), Carrie Karpinen and artist Sam Harris, the song was co-produced by Simon and Karpinen and mixed by GRAMMY Award-winning mixer and engineer Ryan Hewitt (Blink-182, Kacey Musgraves, Noah Kahan, Red Hot Chili Peppers).
The new music follows last week’s celebration of what has unofficially become known as “Koe Wetzel Day” in honor of the cult classic song “February 28, 2016” featured on his Noise Complaint album, with Wetzel himself joining his fiercely loyal fans who gathered at his Riot Room venue in Fort Worth. The celebration continues with Noise Complaint now available on vinyl for the first time. Purchase HERE.
Fans can also see Wetzel live at several major festivals this year, including Rock the Country, Tortuga, Cattle Country, Country Thunder, Country Jam, Watershed and more, in addition to several headlining dates across California and a hometown stadium show as he joins Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour in Arlington, Texas this July.
For more information and to purchase tickets to all upcoming dates, visit KoeWetzelMusic.com
About Koe Wetzel
Koe Wetzel might just be the last real rebel out there. The Platinum-selling East Texas-born singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer shakes up the status quo, shatters expectations and sticks to his guns with a sound steeped in country storytelling, yet spiked with grunge grit. He’s unapologetic, undeniable and unlike anyone else you’ve ever heard. Without anything to prove and nothing to lose, he continues to kick ass on his own terms. Breaking through with a series of independent releases and tallying over 2.4 billion streams to date, Wetzel has impressively notched multiple RIAA-certified singles, including six Gold records and the Platinum track “Drunk Driving.” The latter adorned his 2020 Columbia Records debut, Sellout, which arrived to widespread critical acclaim from American Songwriter, The Boot, Rolling Stone, and more. Wetzel followed with the release of his 2022 album Hell Paso, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200. Recorded at the iconic Sonic Ranch Studio outside of El Paso, Texas, the 13-track LP perfectly blends Wetzel’s musical influences and carves a unique lane for himself. In speaking about the album, he says: “We pulled in every genre we were feeling at the time. We spent the last ten years trying to make this sound, Hell Paso has it.”
Over the years, Wetzel has quietly emerged as a powerhouse performer packing arenas, amphitheaters and ballparks across North America. Selling over 275,000 tickets in 2023 alone, he graced Pollstar’s “Top Worldwide Tours” for the third time with headline performances, top festivals and an opening slot for Morgan Wallen already slated for 2024. He continues to forge ahead with new music on the horizon. Ultimately, there’s only one Koe Wetzel, and he’s here to stay.