There were a handful of artists that were “bucket list” artists I wanted to interview when we started this whole thing, and Trenton Fletcher was one artist that was a high-up must-have. So, to get to do this spotlight on him is an honor for us. Trenton is an amazing musician, and that can’t be debated. Between his music and his live show, he’s one of the hottest artists coming out of Oklahoma. But behind his music, who is he? Who is Trenton Fletcher?
Trenton Fletcher is an Oklahoma-based artist from Fox, OK, in southern Oklahoma. When asked how Trenton would describe his sound, he said, “I would say it feels like Oklahoma,” going on to say, “I was obsessed with the Oklahoma red dirt scene. Ragweed, McClure, Great Divide, Boland, Stoney, etc. I found Cody Jinks and Whiskey Myers early on. Chris Cornell and Soundgarden. I like to think you can throw a dart in the middle of all of that and find something relatable to them all.”
When asked about when he first started playing music and what drew him to it, Trenton said, “I got my first guitar when I was 11. I mainly stuck to chords and simple stuff. Eventually, I started trying to write my own songs later in high school. I played football at Oklahoma Baptist University. There, I dove into writing more and tried my hand at playing them for friends and eventually open mics. I started to play acoustic gigs, and I was hooked. Everyone told me if you want to play music and be in the red dirt scene, Stillwater was the place to do it. I moved there in June of 2018 and never looked back.”
Now that’s how he got his start, but what inspired him to start making music? Well, he told me, “My family was deeply musical. Growing up at family reunions, there was always a group of uncles or various relatives picking bluegrass and gospel.”
What’s been Trenton’s favorite show or venue to play so far? He said, “Cain’s Ballroom was insane. Euphoria that lasted for months. We’re on our 3rd appearance there with Josh Meloy this Saturday.” It’s already a special place to see a show as an Oklahoman, so I can only imagine it’s 100x better to actually play on that stage. Now, what about Trenton’s dream venue? Well, he said, and I quote, “Wherever I’m wanted,” and I think if you’re in it for the right reasons, that answer actually makes a lot of sense.
Have there been any major turning points in Trenton’s career so far? He said, “When I first moved to Stillwater, a buddy of mine, Isaac McClung (incredible singer/songwriter), told me, ‘Man, I’m not gonna tell you to quit your day job, but if you do…you’ll force yourself to become a better singer, songwriter, performer, and booking agent.’ I pretty much dropped all my other sources of income in college and leaned on that exclusively. He absolutely was not wrong. I tell that story to a lot of artists starting out.”
Now, what’s something about Trenton and his band that people might not expect? He told me, “We toured for 2 years in my 1996 F-250 7.3L Powerstroke and fit every bit of gear into my camper shell. We went anywhere from Arizona to South Carolina to Minnesota and everywhere in between in that thing.”
What does Trenton hope people feel when they hear his music? He said, “Music has saved my life. If just one person can get a break from their harsh reality through something I helped create, that’s what does it for me. That’s success for me. I just want to create something that is real and that people can resonate with, one way or another. This is my purpose. If I can pay the bills doing it, even better.”
Balancing life with a career is difficult, then throwing a music career on top of that? So how does Trenton balance music with the rest of his life? He said, “I work with my dad during the week in the oilfield when he needs a hand. My family has always pushed me to pursue this, and it helps the way they support me to chase it. My fiancée wants nothing but the best for me and also pushes me to be my best and give it my best go. That makes it easy.”
Now, as far as new music, Trenton just dropped a new album titled Tornado Alley, and if you haven’t listened to it yet, you need to. It is currently my number one album of the year because it’s that good.
Thank you for reading this week’s artist spotlight! I hope you enjoyed getting to know who Trenton Fletcher is behind his music. Go check him out, and go catch him at a show. As always, be good to yourself, stay western, and stay tuned
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