Country music’s new up-and-coming star…Denny Strickland has made quite a splash…and the industry has taken notice. Strickland recently did it again with the release of his new video for “Get A Grip”. We had the opportunity to sit down with Denny and got all the details on the new single and more! See what he had to say here:
Country Music Pride: The video for your popular single “Get A Grip” has made quite a splash in the Country Music industry…give us a glimpse of what goes into planning your videos and the inspiration behind your music.
Denny Strickland: It all starts with a song being the first focus and the rest is all secondary. I get inspired by all things in life music, people, and places. Personal experiences is a big one for me that I reflect in my videos. “Get A Grip” I started writing a rough draft of my ideas of how I experienced a night out in the club. I wanted to portray every aspect including the bad and the good including the partying and the aftermath of being sick that normally follow. Brian Harstine the “director” (Ke$ha, Dolly Parton) captured every moment and made my vision come to life in “Get A Grip. We would not have got this done without Brian. He was a pleasure to work with and I look forward to many more.
Country Music Pride: You recently paid tribute to country music icon Kris Kristofferson with an acoustic performance of “Loving Her Was Easier” for ‘Cellar Sessions’…who has had the biggest influence on your music?
Denny Strickland: Kris Kristofferson changed my life. I had the opportunity to work with Kris through my late manager Marshall Grant (former bassist and Tennessee Two of Johnny Cash). We were playing a show in Jonesboro, Arkansas at the college. I was going to school there at the time and it was the first concert of many after to raise money for the Johnny Cash Foundation. My manager Marshall had fallen ill the night before the concert and Kris took me under his wing throughout the remainder of the show and I recently got to thank Kris back in Nashville for all of his help during that tough time.
I saw a recording of him performing “Loving Her Was Easier” back about a year prior to the show we had done together. It was him performing on the Johnny Cash Show back when it was originally aired in Nashville and I immediately fell in love with the song.
Country Music Pride: You were discovered by Marshall Grant, an original member of Johnny Cash’s band and longtime manager for The Statler Brothers….what has that experience like and what has it meant to you for your career in Country music?
Denny Strickland: Yes I was…Marshall will always be in the back of mind from the first day we met to the last day I saw him when we were working at our last show together. Our first big show we had was playing for the Recording Academy in Memphis Tennessee for the Grammy 365 chapter at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. I had the opportunity of performing with Marshall along with playing the original guitar and him on the original bass that they first recorded on at Sun Studio’s which are now on display at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville Tennessee. Me and Marshall were recording some new music at the time of his death and we partners on a new upright bass which he recorded on and autographed. I loaned that bass along with a few other items Marshall left me including the strings off Johnny Cash’s Guitar that I performed on at the recording academy event which are at the Johnny Cash Museum. My career would not have been the same without Marshall Grant.
Country Music Pride: You released your debut single, “Swerve On” which quickly rose on the country radio charts…what would really excite you and encourage you that could be done by our readers and fans of yours that would help bring the single to the top of America’s Country radio?
Denny Strickland: I love the feedback from my fans and readers. For them to get on all my social Medias Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Doing that is more than enough for me and I’ll see you down the road.
Country Music Pride: What are some of the “dues” you’ve had to pay for “paying your dues” as up and comers? Have any almost pushed you far enough to almost quit?
Denny Strickland: Everyone pays their dues and it sucks but if you stick with it you’ll win a little and lose little a lot like gambling. One thing about this business is it’s all about a song and who you surround yourself with. Team work is the key and that is what helped me.
Country Music Pride: Have you received any accolades from any groups or persons that you highly value?
Denny Strickland: “Nashville, TN (October 13, 2016) – Denny Strickland’s latest music video, “Get A Grip,” premiered on VEVO while the cast, crew, industry elite and media attended a private Nashville screening party at The Cellar @ The Sutler Saloon. VEVO, the world’s leading music video and entertainment platform, boasts viewership numbers exceeding 18 BILLION per month. The “Get A Grip” video can be seen now on VEVO and on Denny’s VEVO YouTube channel.”
This is one of one of my most memorable accomplishment to date.
Country Music Pride: What can your fans expect from Denny Strickland next?
Denny Strickland: New music is what I’m working on at the moment in hopes of finishing a full album. I’m loving every minute of it.
Country Music Pride: I always like to ask one fun fact about you guys or experience that your fans may not know about you?
Denny Strickland: They will just have to follow me online and see for themselves. Tell next time…
Strickland’s debut single “Swerve On” climbed onto the Top 40 on MusicRow and Top 20 on Power Source Charts as well as his single “How Far You Wanna Go” peaking at #28 on MusicRow  on European Chart. His Country Classic, “I’d Love To Lay You Down” was also #1 for four weeks on European Chart.
Denny has shared the stage with other talented artists such as the Kentucky Headhunters, 3 Doors Down, Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash and George Jones just to name a few.
His music is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes.
For more information on Denny Strickland, visit his website and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Fans can check out the video for “Get A Grip” here:
