Courtesy of Susan Phelan
Audio By Carbonatix
Yeehaw! We may be over a quarter of the way through the 21st century now, but no amount of time could ever stop Denver from being a cowtown at its core. Just check out the thriving local country-music scene for proof. Many major country groups have gotten their start in Denver, including but certainly not limited to Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Thunder and Rain, and CW & Twenty Hands High.
But who’s still part of the local scene and regularly appearing for performances at iconic country venues such as the Grizzly Rose and the Frontier Club? Read on to learn all about the biggest names in Colorado music right now, from rising stars to recognized legends. But be warned: Listening to these artists will compel you to pull your cowboy boots on and do-si-do on down to your nearest local country show!
Of all the longtime country performers still actively playing in Colorado, Duey Weibel had one of the longest-running careers, and one of the most significant on the national stage. Now, after taking some time off to be with his kids, he’s back with his new “Unbroken” outfit. Weibel and Co. have been performing at various venues around Denver for just over a year now, and provide setlists of popular country tunes that any country fan familiar with artists such as Toby Keith, Cody Johnson, and Chris LeDoux can look forward to singing along with.
Originally being recognized as a newcomer to look out for in 2019, Eric Golden has racked up accolades constantly in the years since. Just last year, his traditional honky-tonk sound earned him nominations for Best Male Vocalist by the Mountain West CMA and Best Country Single of the year for “Lonesome, On’ry and Mean” by the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame. A tireless live performer who has played more than 200 shows within a year, Golden also released his first boot-thumping lonesome album, Sit Here And Cry, in 2024. Any cowboys and cowgirls pining after the traditional sound of yesteryear’s honky tonk ought to pull up to Golden’s next tour, which will be covering a substantial portion of Colorado.
With music the band describes as “a country music cocktail that is equal parts Golden-Era Revival Country, Folk, and Rock & Roll,” Extra Gold succeeds in making unique tunes that still make the listener nostalgic enough to go sit in a creaky rocking chair while you wait for the duel at high noon to start. With a thumping bass, bouncy drumbeats and a fiddle begging you to start a hoedown, its songs off of 2018 album, High & Lonesome, will stick in your head until you’re dancing them out at an Extra Gold show. The group hasn’t released too much new music recently, but what it does have is well worth a night out on the town.
Initially forming in 2017, Hillbilly Demons is one of the freshest crowd favorites on the Denver circuit. After performing classic hits for its first few years and gaining a devoted fanbase, the group released its debut album, 13, in 2022. The resulting tracks feel rebellious in their optimism: Be it through the confident severing of a relationship so the protagonist in “You’re Dead To Me” can move forward with his life, or the soft resilience of love in “So Glad You Held On”, the joy that the Hillbilly Demons put on display will give you something worth hooting and hollering over.
Undeniably the youngest musician on this list, rising star Joe Wren made a splash last year. After he came in second place for season two of Celebrity Sidekick at the Buffalo Rose, he was promptly named 2025’s Best Single Artist of the Year by the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame. Between Wren’s hearty voice and the strength of his storytelling, we’re excited to see what this young man does next.
Rhett Haney’s 25-plus year music career feels like a historical who’s who for the Denver Scene, as he spent many years as an active member of country outfits such as Buckstein and the Walker Williams Band. However, 2025 was the year that proved that all of his past work was really just the opening act. The release of Haney’s first solo album, The Nashville Eight, took the West by storm as many songs became quick radio favorites for country fans everywhere. Putting his voice to lyrics written by Nashville songwriters, Haney brings all of the swinging swagger of Johnny Cash into new, grounded tracks that you won’t be able to resist bouncing your knee to.
With a veteran lineup of Denver legends, Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts has been a household name for Denver country since its debut in 2012, and the band hasn’t slowed down in the years since. We awarded its sixth original album, Blame It On The Road, for being Denver’s Best Outlaw Country Album last year, and the band released its second Christmas album, titled Santa’s Guitar, a couple of months back. Those looking for high-energy, original country music that can discuss modern issues with a mature melancholy are sure to find a friend in the Rough Cuts.
The Barlow quartet has risen into acclaim as the next big outlaw country group since it formed in late 2017. With consistent guidance from bands they opened for such as local rock legends Big Head Todd & The Monsters among others, the Barlow has grown in its confidence and provides a sound that feels uniquely personal. Indeed, most of the songs off its most recent album, High Spirits, draws on the group’s personal lives, giving each tune a vivid Colorado spirit. You won’t regret putting the album on during your next lonesome drive into the Rockies, that’s for sure.
Another staple of the Denver country scene, this self-described “hard country” band offers original tunes so classic that you could probably convince a friend that some of its songs were recorded back in the ’70s. And what classics there are to discover: “I-70 Westbound” has long been considered one of the best songs about Colorado of all time, and “Southbound” is a dynamic outlaw tune that will make you want to hit the road immediately. They also have songs that are not named after cardinal directions! The quartet will be releasing their first album in over eight years in the coming months, and if rowdy lead single “What You Get” is any indication, we’re in for a treat.
If the title of Union Gray’s sophomore album, Rocky Mountain Raised, isn’t enough of an indication, this is a group that is fiercely proud of their Colorado roots, and of their classic country sound as well. After forming in the heart of The Rockies, the group carried the sound of the high country down into Denver, where country fans can find them at The Grizzly Rose and other classic country venues. From the dynamic and confident “First Time” to the deeply sentimental “Southbound Train”, Union Gray never lacks for heart.
