It’s no secret that country music and rodeo life go hand-in-hand. So, when Chaser Crouch, a real cowboy from Corsicana, Texas, decided to learn to play guitar as a kid and start writing songs, everything came out “country.” Over the last few years, he has been honing his craft, writing and playing shows across the state and beyond – and he has grown his fan base and racked up some impressive industry nominations along the way. Postcards Magazine visited with this singing cowboy about his passions and goals as he forges his path in the music industry.

Let’s start from the beginning. Rodeo and music have always been a part of your life. Tell us about your start in rodeo.

My whole family has been a part of rodeo in some way. My dad’s been a horse trainer since he was 15 years old, and my mom ran barrels and has been all over the rodeo world. My grandfather was a bulldogger and trained bulldogging horses; my grandmother was a barrel racer, and all that’s on my mom’s side. On my dad’s side, my grandmother ran barrels, my grandfather was a bull rider, and my great-uncle was a bulldogger.

And you followed in their footsteps. You have earned some championship belt buckles of your own in cutting horse competitions. That’s amazing!

I don’t talk about it a lot. I am proud of it, but I don’t want to sound like I am bragging. I have three world titles under my belt. I’ve been reserve world champion and won numerous scholarships. I won the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I’ve done a lot of things on the back of a horse, and I have a lot of friends from all over the country I’ve met doing this.

Impressive! When did music enter the picture?

I used to watch country music videos every morning before school. We’d have it set on CMT, and my dad and I would sit there and watch it. I also grew up watching all the Texas country music artists from the late 90s and 2000s and was always fascinated with learning more about each artist. It seemed like they were all friends and took care of each other. It was always something I wanted to be a part of, and I was always intrigued by it, but it was never something I thought I could do. But fast forward—I  started playing more, doing gigs, going to open-mic nights, and decided I was going to go for it and see what happened. Music has always hit me in an emotional way, and I try to take that over into my own music. I try not to sing or write about anything I haven’t experienced. That’s what drew me into it. And being on stage singing with lights flashing, that’s just a plus.

Tell us about your songwriting process.

The first three songs I wrote really just happened when my buddies were sitting around and we wrote a song. “Hell of a Night” was my very first song, and we put it out to test the waters and open the door. People ended up loving that song. How it came to be – I was 18, a senior in high school, and through high school, I met some buddies through a mutual friend. They were all going to Navarro College. They had a camper, and we had a place with a hook-up for a camper, so they stayed at our place in their camper for about two years while they were going to college. I’d become really good friends with a bunch of the kids in Navarro College’s John Deere program, and I’d go hang out at the dorms with everybody. One night, there were a couple of us sitting there, and two of us had our guitars out and I said, “Let’s write a song,” and we wrote this song. We didn’t finish it then, but I finished it later on. It went through a lot of changes by the time it was recorded, but that song was written in the John Deere dorm rooms at Navarro College. That song is a mixture of stories from me and my buddies. It’s just one of those songs everyone can relate to.

How have you brought your two passions – rodeo and music – together?

I wanted to write something about that because it was such a big part of my life. I was on the road on the weekends going to every show I could with my parents for 4 or 5 years. For a lot of high school, I was gone every weekend. I missed out on a lot of time with my buddies, but it paid off.

I co-wrote a song called, “Born to Ride.” The song’s about chasing a dream in the headlights. You’re on the road late at night, gone every weekend, and you’re coming home at 1 or 2 in the morning. I’ve watched the sun come up on the dash of my truck numerous times coming back from Wyoming, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana – all over the place. I might have been home for two weeks during the summers when I was in school, but other than that I was competing.

When it comes to music, who inspires you? 

George Strait, obviously. Mainly because he’s George Strait. But someone like Cody Johnson, who also grew up in the rodeo, can throw one heck of a concert. And Reba McEntire. I’ve always thought of myself as a mixture of George Strait, Cody Johnson, and Koe Wetzel. I want to have the rowdiness of Koe, the pure country of George, and the songs of Cody. His songs just hit you. A song like “Dear Rodeo” will make me tear up.

You recently signed a management deal. What does that mean to you?

My mom and I had been managing this whole thing. We talked about looking for management before, but it just never worked out. Then we started working with Gilligan Promotions for radio promotions, and I would poke at David (Gilligan) and say, “You should just be my manager,” and he finally agreed. What this means is I’m just digging a deeper hole into what I want to do. I can’t back out now, so I’ve just gotta keep going. Things are finally happening, it seems like. It’s a little overwhelming, but I don’t think about it. I take care of my guys, and we do our shows, and I only worry about the music. I don’t mess with the nitty gritty stuff. Everyone’s got that end goal, whether it’s a gold buckle or a Grammy. It’s just one step closer to my dreams.

Speaking of awards, you were a finalist at the Texas Country Music Awards in Fort Worth last year and are now up for New Male Vocalist at the Texas Regional Radio Awards (T3R). How cool is that?

What has the support of your rodeo community meant to you as you have moved into country music?

Tell us about your new song that’s out now.

My new song, “Just a Dream Away,” was written by Thomas Rhett. The first time I heard the demo, I related to it a lot, because everyone is just a dream away from a goal or achievement. It relates to me not only chasing a dream in music, but also chasing dreams in the horse world. It took a lot of drive, hard work, and dedication, along with ups and downs to win a World title. I am trying to take that same mindset into music. This song is about getting started and chasing that dream. My favorite part of the song is, “I know a boy who bought a cheap guitar/ played for tips and beers in the bars / sang from his heart and shot for the stars / kind of looks like me.” I think everyone needs to shoot for the stars.

INSERT QR CODE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY1dvtdGZkc

Well said. You have a lot planned for 2025. Fill us in on what we can expect.

My band and I are excited about playing the World-Famous BBQ Cook-Off at the Houston Rodeo. We will be playing in a private tent hosted by The Cowboy Care Coalition. This organization raises money for injured rodeo cowboys. I think it is a great cause, and I am proud to be a part of the event. The guys and I are also playing at Isleta Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and at a music festival in Louisiana. We have our first band gig at the TCMA “Music Venue of the Year” – The Kenney Store in Kenney, Texas, in February. We are also headed to Oklahoma and Kansas for gigs. Additionally, I am trying to finish recording some songs. We have a lot of new music coming out this year.

Sounds like an amazing 2025 ahead.

To learn more about Chaser Crouch, visit www.chasercrouchmusic.com  and stream his songs wherever you get your music.