Follow up to “Outlaws and Outsiders” is a made for country radio jam
Watch out country radio. Cory Marks has begun the promotional push for his new single “Drive” and the video for the breakout summer anthem is already posting some seriously impressive numbers.
The Canadian country singer from North Bay, Ontario is following up his smash hit “Outlaws and Outsiders” with “Drive,” a straight-ahead country pop anthem with a infectious hook and roll-down-your-window feel-good sound that borrows inspiration from country greats like Alan Jackson or Brooks and Dunn. The video is equally summer-ready, with a wide-open landscape and a love story accompanying the road-trip-ready vocals.
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“Drive” is closing in on 60,000 views on Youtube, 90,000 views on Facebook and more than 100,000 plays on streaming services as the song gets added to summer playlists. Not bad for a video that’s been out two weeks
“My goal with this song is to have my first top 10 on country radio,” Marks explains, noting how the Canadian country format has been elusive despite his massive success for the track “Outlaws and Outsiders,” one of his first releases from the label Better Noise Music featuring Travis Tritt, Ivan Moody and Mick Mars.
“Outlaws and Outsiders” has generated 60 million streams and 18 million views worldwide. Marks is the first Canadian country artist to chart on the Top 10 of Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart, and the song will be featured on the upcoming film “Sno Babies” from Better Noise Films.
“Outlaws and Outsiders” success is fueled by a growing listenership that embraces both hard rock and country, but country radio programmers have generally not shown much love to heavier sounds that push the boundaries of the format.
“I’m a little edgier than most of these pop guys that you’re hearing,” Marks says. “Drive” was produced by legendary Canadian musician, sound engineer and record producer Kevin Churko is written for fans who are feeling increasingly holed up under quarantine and thinking about getting away with no destination in mind.
“This song might not sound like everything else out there, but that’s the whole point,” says the the former Royal Military College hockey player and pilot. “I want to refresh people’s tastes and bring the components of real country music back.”
Marks is expected to get back on the road, hopefully this year. His autobiographical, guitar-driven album Who I Am will be released Aug. 7 with a special “Gold Stone Creamery” color melt vinyl that fans can pre-order. To learn more, visit corymarks.com.
