Austin Snell hails from Georgia and he’s been bubbling under since the release of 2023 collection ‘Muddy Water Rockstar’. The 28-year-old is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and he grew up on a mixture of Country and rock music. He released his debut album ‘Still Bleeding’ in 2024 and 2025 saw him follow that up with EP ‘Home Sweet Hell’. Ready to start a new chapter, Snell today releases new EP ‘Colors’, a set of 7 songs that he co-wrote all of.
For ‘Colors’ Snell has worked with some of the best writers in Nashville including Laura Veltz, Jimmy Robbins and Jaxson Free, as well as fellow artists Tucker Beathard and Larry Fleet. Described as Snell’s ‘most vulnerable, unguarded project yet’, ‘Colors’ wastes no time getting personal on opening track “Daddy’s Eyes”. As someone who has had a difficult relationship with his father, this song struck me pretty hard. Snell sings about the differences between himself and his father, as well as acknowledging the similarities, but maintains that he isn’t going to follow in his footsteps. It’s a powerful and raw statement, and the best song on this collection.
Across the EP, Snell is unflinchingly honest. He’s always been public about his own battles and those are the bedrock of this set of songs. ‘Everything But OK’ leans into a commercial Country/rock sound, providing one of the most obvious radio hits here. Snell’s voice has a grit and an edge that suits this kind of production well, and there’s plenty of emotion in there. ‘Circles’ explores the destructive cycle that we allow ourselves to get into, and the frustration of being able to break out of that radiates from the lyrics.
‘My Favourite Scar’ is a little Keith Urban if he allowed himself to be a little less polished, while ‘You Being You’, one of the three songs released ahead of the EP, fits perfectly into mainstream Country radio with a thumping beat and a catchy refrain. ‘Have It All’ is one of the gentler tracks included here and there’s some really good vocal layering in the production. The instrumentation is minimal, allowing the spotlight to fall squarely on Snell’s abilities as a vocalist. The EP closes with ‘Colors’, a song that builds slowly and offers a little optimism after 6 songs that explore darker material.
Austin Snell really steps into his own with ‘Colors’. I feel like he’s a name I’ve been hearing for a couple of years now and this is the first time his music has really grabbed me. There’s depth and range here, and the Country/rock blend is one that suits him well. ‘Colors’ is the strongest collection of songs from Snell to date and it could well put him on the path to bigger and better things. If you’re on the lookout for the next big thing, you might find what you’re looking for in Snell.
Track listing: 1. Daddy’s Eyes 2. Everything But OK 3. Circles 4. My Favourite Scar 5. You Being You 6. Have It All 7. Colors Record label: River House Artists / Warner Records Nashville Buy ‘Colors’ EP now
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