Waterloo Revival

George Birge and Cody Cooper established Waterloo Revival by merging the classic restraint of old-school country with the expansive drive of rock and present-day C&W. The pair, who first met as middle-school classmates, took on their signature roles with Birge delivering lead vocals and guitar while Cooper supplied guitar and backing vocals. Both musicians grew up in Austin, Texas. Cooper began exploring songwriting at age fifteen, prompting Birge to join the effort, after which the two started appearing locally as a duo. Following high-school graduation, their separate college paths kept them apart until both finished their studies; Birge then entered commercial real estate in Austin, and Cooper took a position handling mortgages in Denton, Texas. Whenever Cooper came back to Austin to see family and friends, the two would resume playing together. In 2013 they chose to leave their day jobs and commit fully to music. They adopted the name Waterloo Revival because Waterloo had been the original name of their hometown before its 1839 renaming in honor of Stephen F. Austin. The duo quickly built a following on Austin’s busy club scene and self-funded a five-song EP. After gaining local traction they relocated to Nashville to pursue a recording contract. Big Machine Records signed them and issued the first single, “Hit the Road,” in December 2014, followed by “Bad for You” in 2015. Their self-released EP Front Row arrived in early 2016, yet it was the March 2017 release “What Guy Wouldn’t” that finally connected with listeners, accumulating more than seven million streams.