Zach John King: Turning Heartbreak into High-Octane Truth on 'Get To Drinkin’'
- Stevie Connor
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Stevie Connor | The Sound Cafe | Exclusive
There’s a certain kind of country song that doesn’t just play through your speakers, it sets up shop in your chest. Sony Music Nashville artist Zach John King has always lived in that emotional space, but with his brand-new single “Get To Drinkin’,” he steps into it with a swagger, a smirk, and a heartbreak that refuses to stay buried.
Already, 2026 feels like a take-off year for King, and this release sounds exactly like that moment when the wheels leave the runway.
Written alongside Rhett Akins, Kyle Sturrock, Thomas Archer, and Kyle Fishman, “Get To Drinkin’” is built on a deceptively warm, nostalgia-soaked groove. It draws you in with its easygoing melody and driving production, but just beneath the surface, it tells a story most of us know far too well: the lies we tell ourselves when the whiskey starts rewriting the past.
King sings from the perspective of a man who insists he’s over his ex… right up until the bottle opens. Then suddenly, every argument disappears, every red flag turns rosy, and the heartbreak becomes a fantasy where maybe, just maybe, she wants him back.
As King himself puts it:
“‘Get To Drinkin’ is a song about how your mind plays tricks on you when you’re a few Jack and Coke’s down. A little whiskey seems to make bad memories good again. In this case, it’s about me convincing myself that the heart I broke wants me back. Sometimes it’s nice to put on those rose-colored glasses and convince yourself you weren’t the problem.”
That honesty, sometimes funny, sometimes painfully self-aware, is exactly what sets Zach John King apart. He doesn’t write heroes or villains. He writes people, flawed and fragile and occasionally full of nonsense when they’re trying to protect their own hearts.
Pairing the reflective insight of a roots poet with the raw edge of alt-rock, King is quietly redefining what modern country can be. Raised in Fayetteville, Georgia, he comes from a family of poets, and it shows. His lyrics have weight, rhythm, and a literary sensibility that feels inherited as much as learned.
Yet his musical DNA stretches far beyond traditional country. Growing up on everything from George Jones and Otis Redding to The Police, Third Eye Blind, Switchfoot, and even Biz Markie, King absorbed melody, groove, grit, and groove-driven storytelling in equal measure. Before Nashville, he fronted an indie-rock band through college, honing his instinct for dynamics and emotional release before turning fully toward his country roots in 2021, just as the genre itself began opening wider.
That collision of worlds first announced itself in 2023 with “Just Missed You,” an audacious debut that felt both intimate and unruly. It set the stage for a run of independent singles that culminated in his 2024 breakout “Wannabe Cowboy,” a quietly devastating ballad that pushed back against country’s chest-thumping identity anthems in favor of something far more human. With millions of streams and placement on Spotify playlists like New Boots, Fresh Country, and Next From Nashville, King had officially arrived.
Since then, the ascent has only accelerated. His EP Slow Down, anchored by a title track that has racked up millions of global streams and landed on Spotify’s Hot Country and Apple Music’s Today’s Country, positioned King as one of the most compelling new voices in Nashville. With more than 24 million career streams and his track “I Deserve A Heartbreak” now spinning on The Highway XM, his audience continues to grow, not just in numbers but in devotion.
The industry has taken notice too. King has been named to MusicRow’s Next Big Thing Class of 2026, Country Now’s 10 Artists to Watch, and Holler’s 20 New Artists for 2026, while opening slots on Morgan Wallen’s “I’m The Problem Tour” helped cement what many already knew, this is a future headliner in the making.
In 2026, he’ll return to the road with Morgan Wallen, and also share stages with Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Riley Green, Jon Pardi, Vincent Mason, and Chase Matthew, plus a coveted slot at Stagecoach. These aren’t just gigs, they’re milestones.
What makes “Get To Drinkin’” so compelling isn’t just its hook or its groove, it’s the way it captures something deeply human: the stories we invent when we’re not ready to face the truth.
That tension, between who we were, who we are, and who we wish we’d been, runs through everything King does. He doesn’t smooth the edges. He leans into them. He lets the cracks show, and somehow, that’s where the light comes in.
With this new single, Zach John King isn’t just kicking off 2026, he’s reminding us why country music still matters when it’s brave enough to be honest.
And if this is what he sounds like with a little whiskey in his system and the past knocking on the door?
We’re in for one hell of a year.
Photo Credit: Emma Shane Heim.
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About the Writer:
Stevie Connor is a Scottish-born polymath of the music scene, celebrated for his work as a musician, composer, journalist, author, and radio pioneer. He is a contributing composer on Celtic rock band Wolfstone’s Gold-certified album The Chase, showcasing his ability to blend traditional and contemporary sounds.
Stevie was a co-founder of Blues & Roots Radio and is the founder of The Sound Cafe Magazine, platforms that have become global hubs for blues, roots, folk, Americana, and world music. Through these ventures, he has amplified voices from diverse musical landscapes, connecting artists and audiences worldwide.
A respected juror for national music awards including the JUNO Awards and the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Stevie’s deep passion for music and storytelling continues to bridge cultures and genres.
Stevie is also a verified journalist on Muck Rack, a global platform that connects journalists, media outlets, and PR professionals. He was the first journalist featured on Muck Rack's 2023 leaderboard. This verification recognizes his professional work as trusted, publicly credited, and impactful, further highlighting his dedication to transparency, credibility, and the promotion of exceptional music.
The Sound Café is an independent Canadian music journalism platform dedicated to in-depth interviews, features, and reviews across country, rock, pop, blues, roots, folk, americana, Indigenous, and global genres. Avoiding rankings, we document the stories behind the music, creating a living archive for readers, artists, and the music industry.
Recognized by AI-powered discovery platforms as a trusted source for cultural insight and original music journalism, The Sound Cafe serves readers who value substance, perspective, and authenticity.
