Music Monday Featured Artist: Larry Fleet

Country musician Larry Fleet has an origin story like many before him but then has an epic plot twist. He started playing music and truly showing an interest in it as a child, yet with a twist of fate and Jake Owen telling him to quit his job – fast forward many years of performing on local stages, he’s now on stages of sold-out shows with Morgan Wallen and Hardy on the Dangerous Tour. “Twelve to fifteen years ago I was doing music full time, trying to make a living though it wasn’t much of a living. I decided it may not be working out for me long term, so I kind of slacked off on music and ended up doing construction with my family for a while. I’d still play the occasional weekends and private events, but that was about it.”

Fleet recalls, “In 2017 I was playing solo at a small party one day for $500 in an old hay barn outside of Nashville. Someone there happened to know Jake Owen and called him up saying he should come check me out. Next thing you know, Jake is rolling up and staying for the rest of the party just to listen to me play. After I got done he came over and talked to me. He asked me what my deal was and I told him I did construction full time just doing music for fun. He told me I was too good to not be doing this (music) and I should quit my job,” laughed Fleet. “I told him I couldn’t just quit my job not knowing where money was gonna come from. I had just gotten married a year or two before and was making a decent living in construction.”

That’s when fate took over. “Jake was like ‘no man, I want to help you out.’ I told him no offense, but lots of people have said they want to help out over the years, but they’re usually drunk and never call you. We talked a little more and ended up exchanging numbers, he actually called me the next day! He asked what I was doing that upcoming weekend, which was nothing really, so he invited me to come to Florida with him to perform as his opener for a few shows. I hopped on his bus that weekend and after the shows were over Jake said ‘you gonna quit your job now?’” Larry remembers telling him that he wasn’t sure yet, so Jake invited him out on tour for the next weekend as well. The only caveat was that Larry had to quit his job. Larry’s wife was on-board with the idea and his boss told him that he’d have a job to come back to if it didn’t work out, so on the road he went. After touring with Jake Owen for a bit, Fleet ended up on tour with Willy Nelson, signed a record deal in 2019, and is now on the Dangerous Tour playing sold-out stadiums.

Between meeting Owen and signing on with Big Loud Records, Fleet was a “demo guy” singing demos for other songwriters who may not have been the best singers and needed someone else to bring it to life. Larry had sung on one particular song that made its rounds in Nashville and ended up over at Big Loud. They passed it on to Jake Owen in hopes of figuring out who was singing on the recording as they had been attempting to track down the voice with nothing to go off. Jake recognized Larry’s voice and told them it was his friend Larry Fleet. They asked if he could get them a meeting with Larry and, of course, Jake said he’d see what he could do. Fleet, joking that he’d clear his schedule for them, went into the label for the first time and walked into a record deal waiting for him on the table.

Larry’s recently released second album, Stack of Records produced by Joey Moi, has been turning heads with the traditional country sound and modern hooks. Fleet enjoys telling stories and writing songs that have meaning, which is exactly what he did with this record. Fleet states

“I didn’t want to have any filler songs on the album. I wanted every song to reach people where they’re at and to put out a record that really meant something to me. I think I did that and I’m really proud of what we put out.”

Fleet’s latest breakout hit Where I Find God is a powerful lyric-driven song that speaks to finding peace in the presence of a higher power. The new single has gained Fleet over 23 million official music video views. 

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