Red Clay Strays Rising
Bass Player Andy Bishop On New Album, Fishing
When Andrew Bishop has a little time away from the Red Clay Strays, he knows just where he wants to spend it. He fires up his new boat and zips along the Mobile Bay to a few of his favorite fishing spots.
The 20-foot Grady White is the first boat he’s ever owned, and he absolutely loves it. He knows what everybody says—that the best two days of a boat owner’s life are when he buys a boat and when he sells it—but he’s not convinced.
From Red Clay To Clear Water
“It’s an adventure and it gives me a sense of freedom,” says the 28-year-old bass guitarist. “I do a lot of fishing but I also find it exciting to just be out on the water.”
Bishop and most of his bandmates grew up on the other side of the bay in Mobile, Alabama. He and his fiancée, Taylor, recently relocated to the waterfront town of Daphne. The lifestyle is more leisurely there, and the picturesque bay is not only a gateway to the Gulf of Mexico but also has its own unique fishing opportunities.
He’s spending the bulk of his time on the road, of course, as things seem to be getting more exciting every day for the Red Clay Strays. For starters, they signed last year with a major label, RCA Records, and have been steadily selling out shows since last fall.
Made By These Moments
They opened for the Rolling Stones in Boston on May 30, 2024, less than a week after performing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Their brand-new record, Made By These Moments, produced by in-demand producer Dave Cobb, is bigger and bolder than their debut album from two years ago. It shows their maturity as musicians and writers and does a good job of capturing their live energy.
One of the singles from it, “Wanna Be Loved,” seems to be following in the footsteps of their first certified gold single, “Wondering Why.”
Early Days of the Red Clay Strays
Since their early days as a bar band with lots of original material, the Red Clay Strays have been known for their fiery performances that often bring comparisons to classic Southern rockers. It’s surprising to some, including Bishop, that their breakthrough songs have been more like soulful pop ballads from the 1950s.
From the start, they seemed to appeal to people their own age and older, but now they are drawing many younger fans, too. Bishop gives a lot of credit for that to Matthew Coleman, who is the brother of singer Brandon Coleman. Besides writing some of the group’s songs, he also shoots and edits videos and carefully manages the band’s social media presence, which Bishop says has been crucial to their rising success.
“I think it initially was nostalgia for the music we all individually grew up on—the bands that our dads and moms listened to,” Bishop says. “For today’s generation, I think it takes being popular. The younger people don’t seem to take as many chances on new artists, but once you get bigger they’ll come and see you, and then it’s an exponential growth from there.”
Raw & Real Deal Lyrics
While they may have a handle on TikTok algorithms, they also have an old-school sound, with snarling but tuneful guitars, and a compelling and unconventional frontman. Another broad avenue of appeal for them seems to be that their impassioned lead vocalist doesn’t shy away from praising Jesus or singing about how he feels—good or bad, happy or sad.
“We pride ourselves on our lyrics being about real stuff, and a lot of it is about mental health,” says Bishop. “We’re five regular dudes with the same problems as everybody else—we’re just in the spotlight a little bit more.”
From the outside looking in, it may seem that the Red Clay Strays’ rise in success has been a swift one, and it has been, relatively speaking. But from his perspective, Bishop describes it more as a slower build with significant steps along the way.
“It was a long first three or four years of just grinding and spinning wheels,” he says. “It doesn’t really feel like an overnight success, but it is moving faster than it ever has, I’ll tell you that.”
They have a second bus now to accommodate a growing crew and they will probably soon get a semi-truck (instead of their trailer) to haul their gear. Bishop can’t reveal any specifics yet, but they also plan to head overseas for the first time in the coming year. In that sense, at least, the Red Clay Strays seem to be going global.
Back on the Bay
At some point, Bishop hopes to have time for many more memorable experiences on the water, maybe like the one that happened in June. What the locals in his new hometown call a jubilee is the result of an unusual set of circumstances—including high temperatures, calm winds and a shortage of oxygen in the bay—that causes scores of fish and shellfish to swim lethargically to the surface or shore.
Bishop and a fishing buddy could tell something strange was happening at sunrise that morning because of the unusual number of pelicans and gulls. Then they noticed there were lots of dolphins, too.
As soon as they realized it was a jubilee, they beached the boat and grabbed a gig to quickly spear as many flounder and sheepshead as they legally could. There were plenty more for the taking, and others began to gather to do just that.
“Where you could see through the water, it was just a floor of flounder, some of them huge, and tons of blue crab and tons of shrimp,” Bishop says. “It was the best day. We limited out and got in before lunchtime. We had to clean a lot of fish, but we did it with big smiles on our faces.”
Editor’s Note: To check out their new album, which drops today (July 26) go to redclaystrays.com or your favorite streaming site. You may also want to follow them on social media, including TikTok, for lyric videos and more.