Denny Strickland fuses Jason Aldean’s stadium-scale country with admiration for traditional songwriting and an appreciation for the laid-back atmosphere associated with the West Coast. Those qualities surface throughout his 2017 debut album California Dreamin’, which also incorporates touches of contemporary electronic production.
Strickland grew up in Jonesboro, Arkansas, within a family involved in showing horses. He took up riding during childhood and later captured the American Quarter Horse championship title, yet he simultaneously began performing music and composing original material. While competing on the horse circuit in Tunica, Mississippi, he encountered Marshall Grant—primarily recognized for his work as a Johnny Cash sideman and later as manager of the Statler Brothers—who listened to a demo and subsequently mentored the young artist. In the years that followed, Strickland cultivated further industry relationships; after Grant died in 2011, the singer-songwriter relocated to Nashville to launch a country career.
Strickland issued his debut single, the sultry minor-key track “Swerve On,” in 2014. “How Far You Wanna Go” appeared the next year, followed by “Get a Grip” in 2016. He enlisted Sean Giovanni, known for his productions with Big & Rich, to helm his first full-length project, California Dreamin’, which reached stores in August 2017.
