Grant Gilbert

Texas-born Grant Gilbert is a country artist who sings about the rowdy side of Southwestern life with the attitude of a rock star and the down-to-earth outlook of a country boy. Gilbert's music is built around big electric guitars and soulful keyboards, but he sings with the authority of a true Texan and knows what sounds good in a pickup truck. Fans first discovered Gilbert from his 2019 EP Loud & Clear and the single "Held On To," but the song "She Goes Home (Dirty Breakup Song)" was a breakthrough hit on streaming services, appearing on his 2023 EP Between the Highways. Gilbert added new depth to his approach on 2025's West of Fort Worth.

Grant Gilbert grew up in Santo, TX, a small town where his family ran a cattle ranch. Gilbert was raised to value the importance of hard work, and a wide variety of music was played in the household – his grandparents were fans of Texas western swing, while his dad loved classic rock like Bruce Springsteen and Creedence Clearwater Revival. In high school, Gilbert learned to play guitar, and he divided his spare time between playing on his high school's football team and working on his music. By the time he graduated from high school, Gilbert was playing regularly, willing to take any gig within a hundred miles of home, and when he moved to Lubbock to attend Texas Tech, he began making his way into the city's music scene. He put together a band, and they followed Gilbert's lead in playing any venue that would have them. He became a regular performer at the noted Lubbock honky tonk the Blue Light, and one night country star Josh Abbott, celebrating his birthday, sat in with Gilbert and his group, which raised the local buzz about his music.

In 2019, Gilbert self-released an EP, Loud & Clear, and one of the tracks, "Held On To," clicked with listeners on streaming services, giving him his first hit. As his star rose, Gilbert made his way to Nashville, where he earned a reputation as a songwriter, penning tunes with Music City writers Jessie Jo Dillon, Brad Clawson, and Dan Isbell. While the COVID-19 pandemic put his career on pause, he began working with producer Jonathan Singleton, and his 2022 single "She Goes Home (Dirty Breakup Song)," became another hit, doubling "Held On To" streaming numbers. Josh Abbott, who remembered singing with Gilbert in Lubbock, joined him in the studio for the song "Six Pack State of Mind," which along with "She Goes Home" and "Turn It Down," was featured on 2023's Between the Highways. Gilbert found a good match for his touch sound in singer Ashland Craft, and she appeared with him on the 2024 single "Turn It Down." 2025 brought another eight-song EP, West of Fort Worth, which included another successful duet, "Bad Reputation," with rock-influenced country star Hudson Westbrook. The EP also saw Gilbert showing off a more side with "In Loving Memory" and "Where Do Dreams Go." ~ Mark Deming