Colin Stough recently released a new track called “Promiseland.” The song and follow-up to “I Still Talk To Jesus” and “Bad Day” pays a rocking tribute to the singer/songwriter’s hometown of Gattman, Mississippi.
But, since coming off of American Idol, where he placed third in the popular televised competition series, Stough has made some major life changes. One of them being that he moved out of his small town of 70–80 people – many of whom he is related to — to the bustling streets of Nashville, Tenn.

Moved To Nashville To Pursue Musical Dreams
Stough is poised to become the next big country artist, so it makes sense that he has gone from visiting Music City to becoming a permanent resident in a short amount of time. Now that he has managed to settle down in Nashville, after temporarily living out of an Airbnb and bunking with a few of his buddies, the teenager caught up with Music Mayhem to share how things have been going for him so far.
“It’s been great. I can’t complain at all. I’m out here getting to do what I love to do every single day of my life,” Stough shared of his decision to pack his bags and leave home.
He also said, “I’m still friends with a lot of artists from the show,” and added that he has made some friends during the moving process.
“I’ve been blessed enough to bond and write with a lot of the musicians in town too – Chase Matthew, Ryan Waters. I’ve also met and worked with some insane writers and producers,” Stough said. “The crazy part about this town is that you just never know who you’ll meet or bond with on any given day.”
Stough also recently talked about his friendship with Matthew, during a conversation with Country Now, saying “He’s a great guy…. I’ve stayed at his house a ton….He’s put food on the table for me. My motorcycle is at his house in his garage right now.”

Became Acquainted With Jaren Johnston And ERNEST
Along with Matthew and Waters, Stough has also become well acquainted with artists like The Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston and ERNEST.
“When I found out I was doing a writing session with [Jaren], I acted like a little fangirl with him for a little bit. Before I left, he had given me a Telecaster. It’s the one I play on stage. And he was just like, ‘Hey, man. I think this would fit you really well,’” Stough recalled. “There are just so many great people I’ve met. I was saying in my own mind, ‘I’m the new kid on the block.’ But no, you’d be surprised at how many people text me to hang out, like ERNEST. I was at Big Loud the other day, writing. He showed up and introduced himself. I have a lot of respect for people like that.”
Change has become an inevitable part of Stough’s life since he auditioned for American Idol and earned the hearts of Americans everywhere. Before singing Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” in front of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie, he was focused on graduating from high school and moving on to his full-time job in HVAC.

Life-Altering Journey Beyond America Idol
Of auditioning for Idol, Stough previously shared, “My mom signed me up for it. And I just, I didn’t know how far I could go on it, and I ended up about damn near going all the way. So, I was pretty pleased with the outcome. It was pretty awesome.”
He acknowledges the life-altering moments since then, saying, “Almost everything in my life since making the decision to audition for Idol has been a major life change, so the move to Nashville was pretty on- theme for me right after the show. Being on stage sparked something in me. I want to do this for the rest of my life ,and Nashville is where I need to be to make that happen.”
“The writers are here. The producers are here. The musicians are here. My team is here,” he added.

New Song “Promiseland”
As previously shared, Stough recently debuted his third track since coming off of Idol. His co-penned “Promiseland,” which he wrote alongside Alex Maxwell and Dawson Edwards, was also paired with a music video, which takes viewers back to where it all started for him in Gattman, Miss.
The clip proves that even though Stough has moved out of his home state, he intends to stay true to his roots. Folks will find footage of him spending time in his hometown, from cruising on his motorcycle to boating on the water. In separate parts of the video, he also is shown performing the song with his band at his recent live shows in Alabama and Miss.
Be sure to take a look at the video for Stough’s “Promiseland” above.