Music Minute - Greylan James: Small Town

ACM Award-winning singer-songwriter Greylan James is coming to the realization that escaping your hometown doesn't always mean escaping the memories you made there in “Small Town,” out now. Written by James alongside Brock Berryhill and Rocky Block, the track serves as James' first release of the year as his viral single “Water At A Wedding” nears Top 30 at Country radio.   “I wrote this song after going through a breakup with the girl I thought I was going to build a house in the country and raise a family with,” said James. “The fans really gravitated toward the song about her getting married. Now this one's for anyone who's had to get over their person in the same town they made a million memories with.”   LISTEN: “SMALL TOWN”   “Water At A Wedding” burst onto the scene last summer and quickly became James' highest pre-save count to date before release with over 30k pre-saves, going on to be one of the most-added singles of the week at Country radio upon impact. As it rises on the charts, fans continue to hang on to every word of the shocking story that follows an uneasy bride who might be concealing a major secret on her wedding day – carefully unraveling details of a late-night visit, two pink lines and not-so-distant memories. Billboard claimed the track “cement[ed] his gift for crafting songs that are both relatable and head-turning” while Country Central deemed it “an exceptional display of narrative songwriting.”   The Knoxville native wrapped 2025 with a trio of songs that built on the wedding saga with “Give Me A Second (the before),” describing what preceded the fateful wedding night, “Pullin' From A Bottle,” highlighting the tension of a relationship caught in its final days and “Hold It Down (the after demo),” bringing the narrative full circle by capturing the kind of loyalty that refuses to fade.   James has racked up an impressive list of accolades for his impeccable songwriting, already landing ACM and BMI Award wins and a CMA Award nomination for co-writing Jordan Davis' No. 1 hit “Next Thing You Know.” With three No. 1s and over 900M streams as a songwriter under his belt, the “superstar just beginning to hit his stride” (SiriusXM) has not slowed down on landing major writing credits. Last year alone, he earned cuts from some of country music's biggest stars including Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Cole Swindell, Blake Shelton and more, adding to his decorated catalog of tracks for Kenny Chesney, Chris Young, Bailey Zimmerman and others.   Earlier this spring, the rising star made his Ryman Auditorium debut opening for Priscilla Block at Nashville's historic venue. He has played at various fairs and festivals this year including Tortuga Music Festival with headlining dates to be announced later this year. To keep up with show announcements, please visit GreylanJames.com.

ABOUT GREYLAN JAMES: From the moment his Papaw gifted him his first guitar at the age of 5, one of Nashville's most exciting young breakout country stars Greylan James knew he was meant to be a musician. The Knoxville-raised artist-on-the-rise has been manifesting his vision of country music stardom since his earliest days: from those cleats and cowboy hats he wore to school to playing every sort of live show imaginable from tailgates to patios and dive bars to funerals around his hometown. Since arriving in Music City, Greylan has become a “celebrated songwriter” (Country Now) earning cuts from some of country music's most notable artists including Kenny Chesney, Morgan Wallen, Cole Swindell, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Bailey Zimmerman, BRELAND and more. The singer-songwriter earned his first ACM Award for Song of the Year, co-writing Jordan Davis' No. 1 smash hit “Next Thing You Know.” The song also earned Greylan a BMI Award and his first CMA Award nomination for Song of the Year. To date, Greylan's songbook has landed three No. 1 hits and amassed over 900M streams. And while Greylan has undoubtedly been incredibly successful penning hits for others in the writer's room, he's ready to strike out on his own. His growing catalog of songs – including his buzzy Top 35 single “Water At A Wedding” – highlight why SiriusXM dubbed him “a superstar just beginning to hit his stride” with his “impeccable songwriting and artistry.” Greylan has toured with artists like Old Dominion, Scotty McCreery and wrapped 2025 on Cole Swindell's Happy Hour Sad Tour. For a full list of tour dates and more, visit GreylanJames.com.