Justin Holmes, a singer/songwriter who hails from Paducah, Kentucky, has made a name for himself in the country music scene with his musical talent, charm, charisma, and knack for storytelling.
Growing up in the late ‘80s, he listened to everything from punk and heavy metal to artists like Randy Travis and Alan Jackson to Keith Whitley and Shenandoah, building himself a well-rounded ear for music. The rising country star picked up the guitar at age 15 and later brought his musical skills with him to the military, where he served in the U.S. Air Force as a Security Forces member for 14 years.
After creating a music page on Facebook to post videos of himself singing both original and cover songs online, Holmes discovered an outlet that allowed him to do something he enjoyed. Around 2017, Country Rebel, a music and lifestyle brand, took note of Holmes’ raw talent, re-posting his cover of the late Whitley’s massive hit, “Don’t Close Your Eyes.” The re-circulation of that rendition helped to earn Holmes a million views in just one day.
But it was the country artist’s original song “Damn Addiction” that caught even more attention, going viral on TikTok in 2022. That same year, Holmes became the first signee on Country Rebel’s newly launched Country Rebel Records, created by founders, brothers Darin and Kevin Blue. What may come as a surprise is that “Damn Addiction” actually serves as the very first song Holmes wrote.
“Lo and behold, years later, that ended up becoming my biggest song to date with over 40 million streams already,” Holmes reflected on the song and how fast his music career has taken shape during an interview with Music Mayhem.
And it’s not lost on him that he hasn’t necessarily been grinding it out for years playing dive bars as a singer/songwriter like some musicians do before they reach his level. “I say this a lot in life, in music, I’m very blessed,” Holmes shares a sense of gratitude. “I have no luck, and I can’t play the lottery, I can’t enter sweepstakes, nothing like that. But in life, I’ve been extremely blessed, and I’m doing things in kind of the reverse, it seems like.”
“In music, I wasn’t out there grinding, hitting the bars. So many people do, so many amazing artists do every day of their lives. I got lucky,” he acknowledges. “I posted that song, and it did decent, and then years later, somebody put it on TikTok and blew it up. And I’ve done that throughout different perspectives of life as well, and I’m very blessed in that sense. But yeah, that’s literally the first song I sat down and really tried to write and just happened to be the one that connected with a lot of people.”
Having “Damn Addiction” resonate with so many people has given Holmes the kind of validation he needed to continue to pursue his passion. The burgeoning talent, who eventually left the military and moved outside of Nashville, Tennessee, a year ago, is now able to follow his dreams while also working a remote job to support his wife and three kids.
“They put a lot of stuff on the back burner for me, and they don’t do certain stuff because I’ve got stuff going on, or I’ve got to do content this day, or I’ve got to go do this up in Nashville. And that’s a lot in a big family like ours and with so much going on,” Holmes said of the support he receives from his family. “I can’t state more how appreciative I am to my children, to my wife, especially for holding it down all these years while I go and chase a dream…. It’s a huge help and a massive benefit to have people supporting you and having folks rooting for your corner on every aspect that you’re doing. I definitely couldn’t do it without ’em.”
Providing even more proof that Holmes is in the right place is country hitmaker Jerrod Niemann, known for hits like “Lover, Lover” and “One More Drinkin’ Song,” is producing the music that he is working on. “I’m realizing that as I get to know him, how much of a genius this guy is,” Holmes praised Niemann, adding that the two met years ago and exchanged phone numbers.
Most recently, Holmes released the uptempo song “Hell I Won’t,” a gritty, blue-collar anthem about proving the naysayers wrong. Released on Friday (Aug. 15), after several teases on social media, the tune gives listeners a stamp of approval that Holmes isn’t done showing what he has to offer yet. The track provides a deeper introduction into the roll up your sleeves and get into it kind of personality that Holmes has.
“The hell I won’t keep doing what it is I’m wanna do / Only got one speed around here / Yeah, I might have me a little attitude / Outwork you any day of the year,” Holmes sings throughout the chorus of the radio-worthy country jam. “Got a bit of a chip on my shoulder / It’s a little too hard for my own good / I believe it ain’t over til it’s over / Can’t keep me down, and you never could / Don’t say I won’t prove you wrong / ‘Cause buddy I’m showing you / The hell I won’t.“
Opening up about the story behind the track, Holmes said, “It was really inspired by, I was just kind of surfing Instagram, and I saw this hat from a company called Black Dog Overland, like a Toyota kind of overland vehicle page. And it just said “the hell I won’t” on the hat. And being a songwriter, when I see things, or I think of things, I immediately write ’em down, and that just wouldn’t leave me that day. So I sat down and just thought about what it meant.”
“What I came to figure out was I’ve had a lot of support in my corner from everything that I’ve done with the job that I’ve got with the military, with music, and I’ve had a lot of supporters. I’ve probably had more supporters than I have naysayers, but I have had a lot of those people say I can’t do it,” he continued. “And a lot of the aspects of my life, and that’s where I took that song, was, ‘You know what? We only get to ride this trip one time, and why should we allow somebody else saying that we can’t do something to dictate our lives?’ And that’s the way I took it, was just saying, ‘You say, I can’t do it? The hell I won’t. Watch me do it.’ And that was the whole thesis of that song.”
In terms of what he wants fans to take away from his songs, Holmes said, “I want them to be able to relate to them, whether that be through heartbreak and addiction to seeing your kids leave or just fun songs… I just want them to take away that it’s real and relatable. I’m just a regular guy with a regular job, as well as the music stuff. I’ve got a family. I like the same stuff that everybody else does. I’m not a six-foot-five jacked dude that country music typically likes to see, but I’m real. And I think that goes a long way these days, more than the kind of manicured style that we had seen in the past. And that’s who I am, and that’s what I’m going to continue to be.”
To keep up-to-date with Justin Holmes, visit his official website or follow him on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
