Austin Tolliver, the rising star of the country music industry, has announced the release of his highly anticipated new Pop/Country single, "If You Were My Girl". The upbeat track showcases Tolliver’s unique sound and soulful vocals, with relatable lyrics that capture the essence of falling in love. In “If You Were My Girl” Tolliver depicts just how far he would go to get the girl he loves while enduring the heartbreak that comes with watching the one you love settle for less than they deserve. The single comes ahead of Tolliver’s sophomore full-length studio album planned to be announced later this year.
Austin continues his journey into developing his own brand of Country music with his latest release. Consider that Tolliver’s diverse musical influences are culled from the melting pot of cultures that surrounded him growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana. “From Country to rap to rock, my music is a crossover of different genres and I infuse that music I grew up on into my style,” Tolliver has commented. His spectrum of influences ranged from Tupac, Nelly, Ludacris, 50 Cent and Eminem to George Strait, Tim McGraw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Colt Ford and Shenandoah. Evidence of his influences can be heard across Tolliver’s debut full-length album, "Ride 4 Me", which was released in April of 2022.
Tolliver had eyed a career as a professional athlete early on, and the Louisiana native was headed towards that goal as he started playing football at New Mexico State University where he quickly became recognized for his athletic prowess. In college, Tolliver wasn’t the best student. As long as he excelled at sports, the educational requirements took a back seat. As Austin has admitted, “I was a football and baseball player at New Mexico State University and Texas Tech University. My job as a student athlete was to win games, to sell tickets, break records, and win damn championships. I did just that.”
Tolliver’s father, who was an NFL player and called himself “the rednecks’ quarterback,” taught his son to strive to be the best whether on stage or in the stadium as “people paid their hard-earned money to come and be entertained.” This is the energy that Austin took with him when he moved to Nashville and fell in love with music changing his life path.
Commenting about his change of life path in 2021 Austin has advised, "The last year for me was absolutely fantastic. I know it sucked for a lot because of covid, but for me it was a dream come true year. I went from Rolling Stone party, the Versace mansion, and other Super Bowl parties and performances to signing a record deal with the exact label I wanted to sign with, Average Joes Entertainment."
For Tolliver, each tune on his debut album "Ride 4 Me" not only represented his diverse collection of genres, but also represent the cycle of emotions that year he experienced while honing in on his craft. The 12-track album, showcased stories from deep within his past, consisting of what’s been the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of Tolliver and his road to music stardom.
Austin's goal with his debut album was as he stated, “With this album, I hope people take the journey into my mindset through each and every song. The entire body of work tells a story from a progressional standpoint of each mood I have been in for the last year. It’s a deep dive into the fun side of me, the dark side of me, the painful side of me, and the kick ass side of me. I feel that it is important to allow my fans to see all my emotions and this project does that.”
For Austin Tolliver the outlaw family are the best damn fans on the planet. He appreciates all their support and all the compliments. Tolliver believes his fans are seeing the same dreams he is, and that means he is heading in the right direction developing his own renegade style of Country music. As to his songs, he has commented, "They are all a part of the plan, the story, the vibe, and the takeover. The story of every song I have is what I was going through in life at that particular time. My sh** is real. We aren’t here to tell stories about drinking whiskey at a bar, we are here to tell you what lead us to the bar. It’s all a reality. Just get ready, the picture is just starting to get painted."
Talent, perseverance and a winning attitude led Tolliver to the attention of Average Joes Entertainment. The Nashville-based record label signed Tolliver and released his debut single, “Tip My Hat,” in late 2020. His 2021 singles, “Yodelay You Down” and “Ride 4 Me” caught the ears of fans and kept their attention through every new music release after.
Tolliver is working hard to hone his songwriting and performance skills. Tolliver does write a lot of his songs with his co-writer, Aaron Lamont. When they get into a room together, Austin believes it just becomes magical, pumping out song after song after song and the creative vibes are always on point.
From the football field to the recording studio, Austin Tolliver continues to tackle every goal he has as a performer. After moving to Nashville, Tennessee, exchanging his professional football ambitions for a microphone we can enjoy Austin Tolliver’s latest release, "If You Were My Girl" and look forward with anticipation to his sophomore album to be released sometime in 2023.