Colton Dawson: Guitars, Grit, and a Traditional Country Revival

In Episode 255 of Outside The Round, host Matt Burrill sits down with rising country artist Colton Dawson, an 18-year-old musician originally from Arizona, now making his mark in Nashville. Colton shares his journey from learning guitar at age 10 to performing over 450 shows alongside his father. The two discuss Colton’s deep love for traditional country music, the influence of faith and family, and how social media—especially TikTok—has helped him gain attention in the industry. They also dive into his passions outside of music, like dirt biking, collecting trucks and guitars, and his dream of settling in Tennessee. Colton reflects on the importance of timing when releasing music, the challenges of songwriting, and how life lessons learned through setbacks and hard work continue to shape him as an artist. This heartfelt and grounded conversation showcases the dedication, humility, and authenticity behind Colton’s rise. Follow on Social Media Colton Dawson: @coltondawsonmusic Matt Burrill: @raisedrowdymatt Outside The Round: @outsidetheround Raised Rowdy: @raisedrowdy Chapters (00:00:00) - Meet 18-Year-Old Colton Dawson(00:01:53) - I Never Sang Until I Was 14(00:05:34) - Arizona's Country Music Scene(00:09:31) - How I Learned To Play Guitar On Hardy's Tour Bus(00:13:53) - Tennessee singer-songwriter on growing up(00:18:14) - Rihonda on Her Relationship With God(00:19:38) - Selena Gomez on Her Family's Support(00:21:30) - I Meant To Meet Randall King At 16(00:26:22) - Singer and songwriter Randall King on the revival of traditional country(00:31:02) - Will Jones and Sam Banks(00:34:42) - This 20-Year-Old Guitar Player Is Unrecognizably(00:36:05) - In the Elevator With Ashton Jones(00:36:20) - Roger Springer(00:42:16) - How I Met Kenny Cash(00:46:19) - Country Music Stars Go Out to Bars(00:47:55) - What Do You Do For Fun When You're Not Doing Music?(00:52:45) - Collecting Trucks and Guitars(00:55:53) - Eastman on His Eastman Derby(00:56:11) - Tennessee Songwriter on Becoming Older(00:59:21) - Spring Hill Is The Move(01:01:43) - Tennessee Slim on Moving Out of the City(01:05:09) - What Do You Do For Ribs?(01:06:19) - Fooled By Nature(01:08:45) - Waffle House Breakfast Order(01:11:01) - Raised Rowdy: The Music Festival(01:14:30) - Redneck on Magic 98.3(01:18:18) - Tyler Crockett on His Future(01:21:48) - Colton Dawson on Comparing Himself to Others(01:25:19) - Nick and Jake Owen on Ranking Albums(01:27:20) - Country Music Star on Streaming Ratings(01:30:49) - COLTON DAWSON(01:33:38) - "I'm Just A Two-Trick Pony"