The Load Out: Chris Knight Carries On Southern Rock Tradition

Call it alt-country, southern rock or whatever you want to name it – the genre used to be all over the radio. Bands like Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blackfoot, Marshall Tucker, and even (in later years) the Black Crowes were once dominant forces on radio.

Of course, how we listen has changed dramatically. According to The Music Industry Blog, YouTube is the dominant music streaming platform, with 55 percent of listeners compared to a combined 37 percent for all free audio streaming services.

These shifts have altered the playing field for countrified rock as the musicians are more focused on the actual music, rather than the aesthetic, as are many young pop artists. But the appetite for southern rock remains voracious, with the genre largely surviving on club stages, festivals, by word-of-mouth and outlets like SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country.

And it’s out there – arguably better than ever – a remarkable collection of artists including Jason Isbell, Lucinda Williams, Sunvolt, the Drive-By Truckers, Steve Earle, Lukas Nelson, and our guest on the latest episode of The Load Out music podcast – Chris Knight.

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Knight’s material has been recorded by country legend Randy Travis among others, and he’s arguably one the more popular rockers in the state of Texas (in spite of hailing from Kentucky). While he didn’t start playing professionally until his mid-20s, and didn’t have a record deal until he was 37, over the years he’s produced nine highly respected albums and collaborated with the likes of the late John Prine, Lee Ann Womack and Buddy Miller among others.

So listen up – Youtube is just fine if you wish – and enjoy our conversation with Chris Knight. Enjoy!

Aaron Perlut is a writer, host of the Load Out Music Podcast, the front man for country-rock band Atomic Junkshot, and the founder of creative agency Elasticity.