Koe Wetzel has been laser-focused on persevering with his present nation music success. He’s attaining it by showcasing the identical depth and ferocity onstage as he displayed whereas chasing down quarterbacks throughout his days on the soccer subject. He’s additionally taking up a brand new problem: sustaining his music momentum whereas regaining his pass-rushing physique.
The previous faculty linebacker’s recognition has taken off with the 0-60 pace of a Ford Mustang Shelby, the traditional muscle automobile whose creator resided in the identical East Texas city because the 32-year-old musician. On the identical time, Wetzel’s ascent up the charts will be thought of unconventional by nation music requirements. He’s promoting out venues nationwide whereas refusing to promote out his Texas roots.
He now resides within the bigger Fort Price area, however Wetzel and his bandmates preserve the down-to-earth mindset they’d after they carried out for 30 individuals at native bars, incomes sufficient money for each beer and gasoline to get to the following gig. In different phrases, Wetzel takes creating music severely whereas refusing to take the celebrity that comes with success too severely.
“We nonetheless discuss how dangerous we suck,” Wetzel chuckles. “We’re nonetheless that band that’s persevering with to get higher. The celebrity is admittedly badass and funky, however I don’t assume we ever actually checked out it like that.”
In 2024, Wetzel skilled a breakout 12 months. His single “Excessive Street,” a collaboration with Jessie Murph, spent 5 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Nation Airplay chart and was additionally named the eighth finest general tune of 2024 by the LA Instances. Moreover, final 12 months’s Rattling Close to Regular tour was profitable sufficient to warrant the discharge of a full-length dwell album, Stay from the Rattling Close to Regular Tour.
Wetzel is much out of your cookie-cutter nation artist. Although categorized as nation, he blends rock, hip-hop, and even grunge—because of early influences from teams like Nirvana—which has allowed him to attach with broader audiences and amass over 3.7 billion streams alongside a million-plus followers on social media.
“We have been form of outsiders—no one actually f***ed with us,” he displays. “We simply went in our lane and did all the pieces the way in which we thought it ought to be carried out. And it’s labored out.”
As his recognition continues to soar in 2025, Wetzel can be targeted on downsizing his waistline. Amazingly, for somebody recognized for songs about consuming—and having been arrested for it—he’s misplaced as a lot as 35 kilos through the tour—and is working to proceed the pattern. “I’m hoping to remain round 245 at any time when we’re touring,” he says, “simply so I’m not an entire fats a**.”
Whereas he hasn’t sworn off alcohol fully, Wetzel, whose setlist contains alcohol-infused anthems equivalent to “Drunk Driving,” “Casamigos,” and “February 28, 2016,” attributes his weight reduction to a big discount in beer and liquor in addition to a recommitment to the weightroom. Lighter and leaner, Wetzel has seen noticeable adjustments not solely in his physique but additionally his reveals. “That was the routine I adopted all through the Rattling Close to Regular tour,” he explains. “It helped me rather a lot with my voice and efficiency, and I feel it was the very best tour we’ve had up to now.”
The street to health hasn’t been fully clean; he admits to have gained a number of of these kilos again over the vacations. Nonetheless, his new give attention to relaxation, improved vitamin, and slicing again on late nights has been essential for Wetzel to ship standout performances evening after evening throughout his present tour.
“I’m again within the gymnasium, getting after it,” Wetzel states confidently. “I really feel like I’ll get right down to 245 and keep on prime of it this time.”
Movement Principle Media
Soccer and Music Had been At all times Intertwined for Koe Wetzel
As a linebacker at Texas’ Tarleton State College in 2011, Wetzel’s gameday program had him listed at 6’1” and 220 kilos, almost 50 kilos lighter than his beginning weight on the Damn Near Normal tour. The “Good Die Younger” singer was leaner, quicker, and stronger, because of a weight-training routine that usually had him within the gymnasium as much as thrice a day. The football-specific workload allowed Wetzel to devour 1000’s of energy with out accountability whereas nonetheless remaining athletic.
“I used to be fairly yoked up,” he shares. “I do know you may’t most likely inform now, however in faculty, I used to be fairly huge.” Wetzel says he was all legs and will squat near 500 kilos. When it got here to higher physique power, he admits to struggling barely. “I don’t assume I ever hit over 275 [on the bench press],” he admits, “however I may throw it out of the room on the squat.”
At Tarleton, the child who grew up idolizing Brian Bosworth and Clay Matthews was honed in on smashing quarterbacks. “I used to be, like, filling the hole after which hitting individuals within the mouth—that was my outlook,” he says. Sadly, his season—and obsession—with soccer ended after a brutal ankle harm. “I watched the video a few times and nearly threw up once more,” he remembers. “I used to be like, no, I can’t be doing this.”
Whereas he fell out of tune with soccer, Wetzel started selecting up additional money singing nation tunes in native bars. Having grown up singing and enjoying guitar, he and a teammate, a bass participant, shaped a small band and began enjoying extra typically. “We have been enjoying music much more than video games. Then I mentioned the hell with soccer. I went to highschool for an additional 12 months, after which they kicked me out.”
Wetzel’s transition from soccer to nation music isn’t distinctive. Artists like Chase Rice, Riley Green, and Tucker Wetmore have been additionally standout athletes earlier than turning their attentions to music. He’s beginning to perceive the enchantment and connection between music and sports activities.
“I didn’t understand that was a factor till about 5 – 6 years in the past once I began trying round at my buddies. All of them performed both baseball or soccer, and when that didn’t work out, they went into nation music,” Wetzel displays.
Movement Principle Media
Weight loss program and Self-discipline Made the Distinction in Koe Wetzel’s Weight Loss
Koe Wetzel is All-around Muscle
Koe Wetzel could have scaled again his coaching at one level, however he has all the time been about muscle in a technique or one other. He’s the proud proprietor of Mike’s Motive, one of many extra highly effective bulls on the Professional Bull Riders circuit. This bull is considered one of eight that Wetzel has partnered with Blake Sharp, a well known inventory contractor.
“[Blake] met me in Mississippi at a live performance and mentioned, ‘Hey, have you ever ever thought of shopping for a bull?’” Wetzel remembers. “At the moment, I had began making slightly cash, so I mentioned, ‘Completely.’ It simply form of snowballed from there. I’ve all the time been a fan of bull driving. It’s been actually cool to be concerned and put my stamp on it.”
One in all Wetzel’s passions additionally contains American muscle automobiles. It’s becoming provided that Carroll Shelby, the creator of the long-lasting Ford Mustang Shelby, constructed his residence in Pittsburg, TX. Wetzel at the moment owns a ’70 Oldsmobile Cutlass, and whereas he hasn’t bought a Mustang but, he made positive to function a traditional mannequin in his introspective video, “Casamigos.”
“The Shelbys have been the cream of the crop,” he says. “In the event you had a kind of, you have been doing one thing proper. I plan on getting one quickly. Since we’re each from Pittsburg, there’s some sentimental worth there.”
Whereas making music is Wetzel’s prime precedence, music movies have performed a vital position in his artistic expression. “I’ve all the time liked music movies,” he says, citing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as a big affect. “I want the movies which might be like little mini-movies, and that’s what I’ve aimed to create all through my profession.”
Wetzel has been candid about his arduous partying—lots of his late-night antics have impressed his lyrics and movies. His hit “February 28, 2016” was written after being arrested for public intoxication exterior a fast-food restaurant on that date. It’s grow to be so common, Feb. 28 has been “unofficially” designated by followers as “Koe Wetzel Day, the singer releasing his newest album on that day. “Casamigos” addresses themes of relationships and dependancy. Wetzel acknowledges that slicing again on alcohol has improved his bodily well being and efficiency. He believes that his previous experiences have additionally profoundly influenced his music.
“It undoubtedly helped with my inspiration,” Wetzel explains. “There have been occasions I’d get up and never keep in mind what I had written down. I’d examine my notes on my cellphone and discover stuff I didn’t perceive till I stored studying, after which I assumed, ‘Oh, that’s what I used to be considering.’”
His followers—and his administration—know what they’re getting with Wetzel. His 2020 video “Solely the Good Die Younger,” which revolves across the premise of a final day earlier than heading to jail, was launched shortly after Wetzel and his band signed with Columbia Information. Whereas it raised some eyebrows, it was—and nonetheless is—one hundred pc Wetzel being true to himself.
“We didn’t maintain something again. We had all these individuals from Columbia there asking, ‘What the hell are we getting ourselves into? What’s mistaken with this man?’ However we had a good time, and it was loads of enjoyable to make.”
