Zach Bryan is making waves in the country and folk music scenes. The 26-year-old Navy veteran accidentally happened upon his music career while writing music and filming videos outside his Navy barracks.
What began as a hobby has turned into Bryan accumulating more than 4 million monthly Spotify listeners. And as of May 2022, he was on his North American tour promoting his latest album, American Heartbreak, which features his song “Heavy Eyes.”
This track has already reached the No. 2 slot on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist as it finds Bryan reminiscing about his younger years, drinking with friends and losing inhibitions.
Bryan really encapsulates the feeling you have when you’re younger–that feeling that tells you you’re invincible and that you’ll never age: “Oh, when I’m old/I will recall all the nights we spent outlaws/It’s getting cold but that sun is cresting/And heavy eyes aren’t born for resting.”
He also touches on he and his friends hoping and dreaming that they don’t become like the “sad folks in town” they see.
This song is a mix between Bryan and his friends drinking a lot of alcohol (“Remember when David dashed/A 12 pack of Budweiser/…Two kids in the back drunk of their a–”) and attempting to live without consequence or thought of tomorrow (“I can’t take this soul with me/If I go, I’m goin’ quickly/Keep those heavy eyes free and proud”).
Zach Bryan’s musical style is sort of like a mix between the passion of Mumford and Sons and the sound of William Clark Green, combined with his own flair. And while his music tells stories of love, loss and youth, “Heavy Eyes” focuses on youth, but the love of youth paired with a whole lot of alcohol.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
