Garrett Bradford and his rising success

Garrett Bradford, a traditional country music artist and songwriter, discovered his love of music when he was just a boy, performing for the children’s choir at First Baptist Church of Weatherford.

“I had all this stage fright, and I remember the first time I actually got up and sang a solo in church. It wasn’t that scary,” said Bradford. “I don’t know if I thought that I was the most gifted, but I figured out really quickly that I wasn’t nervous about getting up in front of people. And so, I thought whatever I do, I probably need to take advantage of that.” 

While continuing to perform, Bradford developed a fascination for songwriting through his childhood friend’s father, Dan Roberts, an Aledo-based singer and songwriter. Roberts began teaching Bradford “and I guess you could say the rest is history,” said Bradford. 

Now this small-town boy from Weatherford is making big moves in the country music world; creating music and focusing strongly on his songwriting, to put experiences into song in hopes listeners connect. 

The big break

Bradford viewed music as his passion, something he loved doing, but did not picture it becoming his career until 2020, when his song “This Way of Life” was featured on the western drama series Yellowstone. The next day, it became the most “Shazammed” country song in the U.S. and eventually peaked at #32 on the iTunes Country Top 40 Chart.

Taylor Sheridan, creator of Yellowstone, befriended Bradford after hiring him to do tree work at his place in Weatherford.

Sheridan and Bradford were sitting on the porch one day and Sheridan said, “You know, Garrett, sometimes when people are my friends, and they’re songwriters, and they know I got this huge show that’s known for its music, they’ll ask if they can write a song for my show,” and Bradford responded, “Are you asking me to ask you?” 

Soon after, Bradford got to work writing and recording in his barn; he completed the song on Monday, and by Sunday it was aired on the show.

“The thing that I’m most proud of so far is the song that was on Yellowstone, just because I really love that song. I resonate with it,” said Bradford. “So far that’s been the culmination. And I hope in another five years I’ll have something to say that’s even cooler than that. But… It was so neat to see my friends and family’s reaction to it because they believed in me and encouraged me to do this and then I finally got a break.”

Growth and success  

Now, Bradford, a Weatherford native who began singing in the church choir, has created a successful career for himself with highly successful achievements: Following his breakout single featured on Yellowstone, he released his debut album in 2025, Honkiest of Tonkers — Act 1, followed by Honkiest of Tonkers — Act 2, and a recently released single on July 10 titled “Blacktop Bender.” He co-wrote alongside respected artists, creating songs like “Bad Habits and Good Horses,” which featured on the hit series “Landman,” “Born To Buck,” which featured on “9-1-1: Nashville,” and “Whatever Happened to the Heroes” from Jason Michael Carroll’s Anthem album. Through his growth, Bradford also had the opportunity to collaborate with many well-regarded songwriters and has achieved recognitions such as winning the Texas Songwriter U contest in 2023. 

Bradford spends a lot of time in Nashville, where he harbors connections with great singers and songwriters to continue to learn and grow his skills for making music. “Getting to talk with them about songwriting and what makes a great song is really the reason that I moved up here,” said Bradford. 

However, his roots are in his hometown: “I remember Weatherford the way it used to be… and I try to put the heart and soul of growing up in that environment, small town, the ranching, the hard work, I try to incorporate that into my music,” said Bradford. “Because when you grow up somewhere, it’s part of who you are.” As Bradford’s career continues to grow, he hopes to maintain his heart and represent his home and family well because that’s more important than any fame, he said.