HARDY

Rooted in the gritty textures of country and arena rock, Hardy draws inspiration from the modest Southern towns he regards as home. Steering clear of bro-country’s easygoing bravado and the sleek country-R&B trends of the late 2010s, he explored this tough hybrid across his first two Big Loud EPs—2018’s This Ole Boy and 2019’s Where to Find Me—plus his 2020 debut full-length A Rock. Beyond his own releases, Hardy built a songwriting résumé that produced the hit “Up Down,” co-written for Morgan Wallen featuring Florida Georgia Line, which in turn prompted the superstar duo to appear on his 2018 chart-topper “Simple.” He resurfaced on both the rock and country charts in 2022 when “Sold Out” topped the former list and “Wait in the Truck” landed on the latter. Hardy fused these contrasting sides on the 2023 double album The Mockingbird & the Crow before committing further to hard rock with Quit!! in 2024.

Born Michael Hardy in Philadelphia, Mississippi, he relocated to Nashville in the early 2010s intent on breaking into country music. He first enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University in the Recording Industry Management program and ultimately graduated with a songwriting degree from the school. While still a student, he issued the self-released EP Redneck Recipe in 2013 and uploaded his songs online. These tracks drew the notice of Dennis Matkosky—the songwriter behind Michael Sembello’s Flashdance hit “Maniac” and LeAnn Rimes’ “I Need You,” who was also a cousin of Hardy’s grandfather—and Matkosky signed the newcomer to his publishing company Watsky Music.

Hardy scored his first charting single with “Up Down,” which he co-wrote with Brad Clawson and CJ Solar. Morgan Wallen recorded it alongside Florida Georgia Line, sending the track to number one on Billboard Country Airplay after its November 2017 release. Momentum accelerated quickly thereafter. Florida Georgia Line cut “Simple,” written by Hardy with the duo and Mark Holman, and guided it to the top spot while also guesting on Seth Ennis’ “Call Your Mama.” By the time that Ennis single appeared, Michael Hardy had signed with Big Loud and adopted the stage name Hardy.

His debut EP for the label, This Ole Boy, arrived in October 2018 under producer Joey Moi, the architect behind Florida Georgia Line’s hits, and was followed in short order by Where to Find Me in January 2019. September brought Hixtape, Vol. 1, a country-styled take on a hip-hop mixtape that featured guest turns from Cole Swindell, Morgan Wallen, and Thomas Rhett. The single “One Beer,” drawn from Hixtape, Vol. 1 and featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson, became Hardy’s first Country Airplay entry in 2020 and was included on A Rock, his debut full-length album. Released in September 2020, A Rock also housed the hit “Give Heaven Some Hell,” which peaked at number 11 on Country Airplay the next year.

In 2021 Hardy joined Dierks Bentley on the single “Beers on Me” and Brantley Gilbert on “The Worst Country Song of All Time.” On his own he issued Hixtape, Vol. 2 and a cover of Puddle of Mudd’s “Blurry,” foreshadowing his pivot toward hard rock. That shift crystallized in 2022 with the Billboard Hard Rock chart-topper “Sold Out.” Even as he registered rock success, Hardy remained active in country circles, reaching the Country Airplay Top Ten with the Lainey Wilson collaboration “Wait in the Truck.” He merged these two musical identities on the 2023 double album The Mockingbird & the Crow—the first disc reflecting his country leanings, the second his rock side. Upon its January release the project topped both Billboard’s Country and Rock charts while debuting at number four on the Top 200.

“Truck Bed” reached number one on Billboard Country Airplay and climbed to 27 on the Hot 100. When preparing the follow-up to The Mockingbird & the Crow, Hardy chose to pursue a harder rock direction. Featuring the Billboard Hard Rock number ones “Rockstar” and “Psycho,” the resulting 2024 album Quit!!—complete with appearances from Fred Durst, Knox, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith—arrived in July 2024.