Biography
Emerging as a defiant pro-Second Amendment anthem in 2017, Dustin Collins’ breakthrough single “Cold Dead Hands” positioned the Kentucky-based country singer as something of a rebel. Yet his roots trace back to a musical household where his father performed alongside his uncle in a group that issued recordings, and his direct country approach draws from longstanding traditions while weaving in understated modern touches, including an affinity for the sleek, understated electronic grooves associated with Jason Aldean and the high-energy bro-country of Luke Bryan.
Although born in northern Georgia, Dustin Collins was raised in Bardstown, Kentucky, and recalls childhood hours spent inside recording studios before music truly captured his attention as a teenager. He first tackled covers of classic rock and post-grunge before Hank Williams, Jr. steered him toward country. Club dates around his home region eventually led to opening slots for the Kentucky Headhunters. Songwriters and producers Sammy Mitchell and Steven Battey took notice, joining him on several compositions and guiding him to a contract with Muddy Boy Records.
His initial digital single, “Stay Gone,” surfaced in 2015 and was soon followed by “My Truck.” Additional releases that same year—“Love Song,” “Getaway,” and “Friday Night”—appeared before December, after which he issued the mini-album She Does in 2016. Continued road work, including an opening spot on Aaron Watson’s Vaquero tour, helped expand his following.
National chart recognition arrived when “Cold Dead Hands” ascended to number one on Billboard’s Hot Single Sales Chart in March 2017. After signing with Colt Ford’s Average Joe’s Entertainment, Collins withheld further singles until “The Barn” arrived in 2018. Both tracks were included on his mini-album It’s Been Awhile, released in August of that year.
Although born in northern Georgia, Dustin Collins was raised in Bardstown, Kentucky, and recalls childhood hours spent inside recording studios before music truly captured his attention as a teenager. He first tackled covers of classic rock and post-grunge before Hank Williams, Jr. steered him toward country. Club dates around his home region eventually led to opening slots for the Kentucky Headhunters. Songwriters and producers Sammy Mitchell and Steven Battey took notice, joining him on several compositions and guiding him to a contract with Muddy Boy Records.
His initial digital single, “Stay Gone,” surfaced in 2015 and was soon followed by “My Truck.” Additional releases that same year—“Love Song,” “Getaway,” and “Friday Night”—appeared before December, after which he issued the mini-album She Does in 2016. Continued road work, including an opening spot on Aaron Watson’s Vaquero tour, helped expand his following.
National chart recognition arrived when “Cold Dead Hands” ascended to number one on Billboard’s Hot Single Sales Chart in March 2017. After signing with Colt Ford’s Average Joe’s Entertainment, Collins withheld further singles until “The Barn” arrived in 2018. Both tracks were included on his mini-album It’s Been Awhile, released in August of that year.
Albums
Singles
