Koe Wetzel has been laser-focused on persevering with his present nation music success. He’s reaching it by showcasing the identical depth and ferocity onstage as he displayed whereas chasing down quarterbacks throughout his days on the soccer subject. He’s additionally taking over a brand new problem: sustaining his music momentum whereas regaining his pass-rushing physique.
The previous faculty linebacker’s reputation has taken off with the 0-60 velocity of a Ford Mustang Shelby, the traditional muscle automotive whose creator resided in the identical East Texas city because the 32-year-old musician. On the similar time, Wetzel’s ascent up the charts may be thought-about unconventional by nation music requirements. He’s promoting out venues nationwide whereas refusing to promote out his Texas roots.
He now resides within the bigger Fort Price area, however Wetzel and his bandmates keep the down-to-earth mindset that they had after they carried out for 30 folks at native bars, incomes sufficient money for each beer and fuel to get to the following gig. In different phrases, Wetzel takes creating music severely whereas refusing to take the celebrity that comes with success too severely.
“We nonetheless speak about how unhealthy we suck,” Wetzel chuckles. “We’re nonetheless that band that’s persevering with to get higher. The celebrity is admittedly badass and funky, however I don’t assume we ever actually checked out it like that.”
In 2024, Wetzel skilled a breakout yr. His single “Excessive Street,” a collaboration with Jessie Murph, spent 5 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Nation Airplay chart and was additionally named the eighth finest general tune of 2024 by the LA Instances. Moreover, final yr’s Rattling Close to Regular tour was profitable sufficient to warrant the discharge of a full-length reside album, Dwell from the Rattling Close to Regular Tour.
Wetzel is way out of your cookie-cutter nation artist. Although categorized as nation, he blends rock, hip-hop, and even grunge—due to early influences from teams like Nirvana—which has allowed him to attach with broader audiences and amass over 3.7 billion streams alongside a million-plus followers on social media.
“We have been type of outsiders—no person actually f***ed with us,” he displays. “We simply went in our lane and did all the pieces the way in which we thought it must be executed. And it’s labored out.”
As his reputation continues to soar in 2025, Wetzel can be targeted on downsizing his waistline. Amazingly, for somebody identified for songs about consuming—and having been arrested for it—he’s misplaced as a lot as 35 kilos in the course of the tour—and is working to proceed the pattern. “I’m hoping to remain round 245 each time we’re touring,” he says, “simply so I’m not an entire fats a**.”
Whereas he hasn’t sworn off alcohol utterly, Wetzel, whose setlist consists of alcohol-infused anthems similar to “Drunk Driving,” “Casamigos,” and “February 28, 2016,” attributes his weight reduction to a major discount in beer and liquor in addition to a recommitment to the weightroom. Lighter and leaner, Wetzel has seen noticeable modifications not solely in his physique but additionally his reveals. “That was the routine I adopted all through the Rattling Close to Regular tour,” he explains. “It helped me lots with my voice and efficiency, and I believe it was the perfect tour we’ve had to this point.”
The highway to health hasn’t been utterly clean; he admits to have gained a couple of of these kilos again over the vacations. Nevertheless, his new give attention to relaxation, improved vitamin, and reducing again on late nights has been vital for Wetzel to ship standout performances evening after evening throughout his present tour.
“I’m again within the fitness center, getting after it,” Wetzel states confidently. “I really feel like I’ll get right down to 245 and keep on high of it this time.”
Movement Principle Media
Soccer and Music Had been At all times Intertwined for Koe Wetzel
As a linebacker at Texas’ Tarleton State College in 2011, Wetzel’s gameday program had him listed at 6’1” and 220 kilos, almost 50 kilos lighter than his beginning weight on the Rattling Close to Regular tour. The “Good Die Younger” singer was leaner, sooner, and stronger, due to a weight-training routine that always had him within the fitness center as much as thrice a day. The football-specific workload allowed Wetzel to devour 1000’s of energy with out accountability whereas nonetheless remaining athletic.
“I used to be fairly yoked up,” he shares. “I do know you may’t most likely inform now, however in faculty, I used to be fairly massive.” Wetzel says he was all legs and will squat near 500 kilos. When it got here to higher physique energy, he admits to struggling barely. “I don’t assume I ever hit over 275 [on the bench press],” he admits, “however I might throw it out of the room on the squat.”
At Tarleton, the child who grew up idolizing Brian Bosworth and Clay Matthews was honed in on smashing quarterbacks. “I used to be, like, filling the hole after which hitting folks within the mouth—that was my outlook,” he says. Sadly, his season—and obsession—with soccer ended after a brutal ankle damage. “I watched the video a couple of times and virtually threw up once more,” he recollects. “I used to be like, no, I can’t be doing this.”
Whereas he fell out of tune with soccer, Wetzel started choosing up additional money singing nation tunes in native bars. Having grown up singing and enjoying guitar, he and a teammate, a bass participant, shaped a small band and began enjoying extra typically. “We have been enjoying music much more than video games. Then I stated the hell with soccer. I went to high school for one more yr, after which they kicked me out.”
Wetzel’s transition from soccer to nation music isn’t distinctive. Artists like Chase Rice, Riley Inexperienced, and Tucker Wetmore have been additionally standout athletes earlier than turning their attentions to music. He’s beginning to perceive the enchantment and connection between music and sports activities.
“I didn’t understand that was a factor till about 5 or 6 years in the past after I began trying round at my buddies. All of them performed both baseball or soccer, and when that didn’t work out, they went into nation music,” Wetzel displays.
Movement Principle Media
Eating regimen and Self-discipline Made the Distinction in Koe Wetzel’s Weight Loss
Koe Wetzel is All-around Muscle
Koe Wetzel might have scaled again his coaching at one level, however he has all the time been about muscle in a technique or one other. He’s the proud proprietor of Mike’s Motive, one of many extra highly effective bulls on the Skilled Bull Riders circuit. This bull is considered one of eight that Wetzel has partnered with Blake Sharp, a well known inventory contractor.
“[Blake] met me in Mississippi at a live performance and stated, ‘Hey, have you ever ever thought of shopping for a bull?’” Wetzel recollects. “At the moment, I had began making somewhat cash, so I stated, ‘Completely.’ It simply type of snowballed from there. I’ve all the time been a fan of bull driving. It’s been actually cool to be concerned and put my stamp on it.”
One among Wetzel’s passions additionally consists of American muscle vehicles. It’s becoming provided that Carroll Shelby, the creator of the long-lasting Ford Mustang Shelby, constructed his residence in Pittsburg, TX. Wetzel at present owns a ’70 Oldsmobile Cutlass, and whereas he hasn’t bought a Mustang but, he made positive to function a traditional mannequin in his introspective video, “Casamigos.”
“The Shelbys have been the cream of the crop,” he says. “In case you had a kind of, you have been doing one thing proper. I plan on getting one quickly. Since we’re each from Pittsburg, there’s some sentimental worth there.”
Whereas making music is Wetzel’s high precedence, music movies have performed a vital position in his inventive expression. “I’ve all the time cherished music movies,” he says, citing Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” as a major affect. “I favor the movies which are like little mini-movies, and that’s what I’ve aimed to create all through my profession.”
Wetzel has been candid about his onerous partying—lots of his late-night antics have impressed his lyrics and movies. His hit “February 28, 2016” was written after being arrested for public intoxication exterior a fast-food restaurant on that date. It’s turn out to be so in style, Feb. 28 has been “unofficially” designated by followers as “Koe Wetzel Day, the singer releasing his newest album on that day. “Casamigos” addresses themes of relationships and habit. Wetzel acknowledges that reducing again on alcohol has improved his bodily well being and efficiency. He believes that his previous experiences have additionally profoundly influenced his music.
“It positively helped with my inspiration,” Wetzel explains. “There have been instances I’d get up and never keep in mind what I had written down. I’d verify my notes on my telephone and discover stuff I didn’t perceive till I saved studying, after which I believed, ‘Oh, that’s what I used to be considering.’”
His followers—and his administration—know what they’re getting with Wetzel. His 2020 video “Solely the Good Die Younger,” which revolves across the premise of a final day earlier than heading to jail, was launched shortly after Wetzel and his band signed with Columbia Information. Whereas it raised some eyebrows, it was—and nonetheless is—one hundred pc Wetzel being true to himself.
“We didn’t maintain something again. We had all these folks from Columbia there asking, ‘What the hell are we getting ourselves into? What’s unsuitable with this man?’ However we had a good time, and it was a number of enjoyable to make.”
