Oak Ridge, Louisiana’s Graham Barham is on the cusp of something big, and not everyone in Country music is happy about it. After a few years of releasing straightforward Country songs, and writing tracks for other Country stars, Barham caused controversy by returning with a switched-up sound on his viral single ‘Whiskey Whiskey’. With a love for hip-hop and rap, Barham mixed elements of those into his music and of course, the Country music genre and its fans had something to say about it. With ‘Oil Money’ and its accompanying EP of the same name, Barham further embraced his experimental style which has led to both an explosion in popularity and an increase in criticism from his critics.
Barham’s inclusion on the C2C line-up as one of the artists performing on the festival’s pop-up stages piqued my interest, and having spoken to him earlier in the day, I went along to his show at The Wayside. The venue was the most-packed I’d seen it so far in the weekend, and I was genuinely curious to see how Barham was going to be received. Arriving on stage, Barham experienced a technical setback when the sound engineers had issues with his microphone causing him to miss the majority of his opening song ‘Shoot the Lock’. Once his mic started working and the audience heard his vocals, Barham impressed and his energetic ‘Club Country’ hit the bullseye with the eager crowd.
Barham’s set was plagued by technical issues but that didn’t stop him, or the audience, from having a good time. ‘M.I.A.’ was his second song, and the first he was able to fully perform, and it became clear pretty quickly that I was witnessing something special. As the beats kicked in, Barham’s distinctive voice captivated fans and it seems that the controversy that’s been following him may be limited to the gatekeepers in the US and the trolls that have nothing better to do than spew nonsense on social media. ‘Lie to Me’, which leans a little more into R&B, resonated with the audience and Barham’s storming rendition of ‘Devil You Know’, which he wrote for Tyler Braden showcased his versatility as an artist.
The catchy-as-hell ‘Something to Chase’ was followed by viral hit ‘Whiskey Whiskey’ and by this point in the set there was plenty of singing from the audience. Interestingly, whenever Barham’s mic cut out due to the technical issues, the audience cheered, shouted words of encouragement and picked up singing the words for him. There was a real feeling of goodwill in the crowd and they were just happy to be in Barham’s presence. ‘Half a Dozen Roses’, one of his strongest songs to date, was performed for the first time and it was a highlight for me. Barham closed out his set with ‘Oil Money’ and it was pretty epic to be in such a receptive crowd as the banger took the audience atmosphere to a new level.
Graham Barham is an innovator and a disruptor. It’s no surprise that he’s faced backlash, knowing how hostile the Country genre can be to anyone who doesn’t fit the mould. Barham is following his gut instinct and it’s paying off. If you strip the beats away, there’s no way you can’t hear Country music. It’s deep within everything Barham does, and kudos to him for not listening to anyone else and just doing what he wants. With one of the best reactions I saw on the pop-up stages on Saturday, Barham has found himself a fanbase here in the UK and for me, he’s one of the most exciting artists at C2C 2025.
Set list: 1. Shoot the Lock 2. M.I.A. 3. Lie to Me 4. Devil You Know (Tyler Braden cover) 5. Something to Chase 6. Whiskey Whiskey 7. Half a Dozen Roses 8. Oil Money Venue: The O2, London Performance date: Saturday 15th March 2025
