Will Carter Band’s Front Man Finds Inspiration From A Conversation With A Stranger In Their New Single “Had It All Wrong”

Featured on the Academy of Country Music’s “New Music Friday” Playlist

Four-time Texas Country Music Association (TCMA) “Songwriter of the Year,” Will Carter, debuted a new single, Had It All Wrong with the Will Carter Band as they head into the 2022 TCMA’s nominated for “Best Band or Duo”. Written by Carter and Jude Dylan, this upbeat country, “forge your own path” anthem encourages listeners to stay open to change as it’s never too late to alter your life or career choices.

To download or stream the track, CLICK HERE.

“In my early years trying to navigate the music industry, I let my direction be persuaded by producers and label reps. I was influenced to record music in a way they thought would sell,” says Will. “One day I ran into a stranger, and he could tell I was frustrated and asked what was wrong. I briefly explained how I felt like I had let the industry change what I was doing. I wasn’t happy and wasn’t getting the traction that I felt like I should. He simply said, ‘be yourself.’ So, that’s what I’ve done. Starting with Wrong Side of Town and now this song, the band and I have simply recorded music the way we play it live. Had It All Wrong is about being yourself and listening to your heart.”

The single is currently spotlighted on the Academy of Country Music’s New Music Friday playlist alongside Russell Dickerson, Walker Hayes, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Scotty McCreery, Justin Moore, Randy Rogers Band, Taylor Swift, and Zac Brown Band.

Below is a selection of lyrics from Had It All Wrong:

I’ve been up, I’ve been down, drove myself out of this town,
Chased dirt roads ’til the sun came up
Met a man with no name with something to say
He said a whole lot but he didn’t say much
Now I’m staring down these headlights
Wondering how he changed my life
I guess I had it all wrong

Will Carter and his band continue their tour through Texas as they get closer and closer to the 2022 Texas Country Music Awards (TCMAs). After added dates this fall, the final show will be a free performance at the Fort Worth Stockyards for the annual Texas Country Music Showdown on November 12, serving as a kick-off for the TCMA’s the following day.

A full list of upcoming tour dates can be found at willcarterband.com/tour

Praise for the Will Carter Band

“A leading entertainer across the Lone Star State.”
– Markos Papadatos, Digital Journal

“Will Carter has done everything required to craft a solid music career. He started young, sang his heart out, worked hard, wrote good songs and milked goats.”
– Houston Press

“Will Carter and the Will Carter Band (WCB) have consistently given us quality music that is not only fun to listen to but also lyrically strikes a chord in your heart and dancing feet. This talented group is a stand-out band and is deserving of the accolades they are being given. On a personal note, Will cares about his fans and puts in the hard work to give us far more than we bargained for. Radio Free Texas is proud of the WCB and grateful we have the opportunity to share their music with our dedicated listeners.”
– Cara Miller, Radio Free Texas

About Will Carter Band

Katy, Texas born and bred, Will Carter launches his electric live show to national stages as he continues to herd accolades across the Lone Star State for his songwriting and performance career. This country singer and songwriter has landed over a dozen singles on the Texas music charts with three crossing over to Nashville’s Music Row Chart. Carter’s appetite for storytelling and engaging sets earned him four consecutive nominations for “Male Artist of the Year” at the Texas Country Music Awards.

Carter accredits his hard-won success to his tight-knit family. Between homeschooling, breaking horses, milking goats, and tending crops, young Will had to carve out time between his chores to hone in on his songwriting and guitar skills. Judging from family scrapbooks, Will took his first stage at age three and picked up the guitar at age ten.

When Carter was just a teen, his father became severely ill. He created a playlist of his father’s favorite songs to share with his dad in hopes of providing some comfort and an escape for him. Seeing the initial impact from the music, Will recorded these songs and sold CDs to help raise money for his family. This creative and active way of assisting his family landed him on the Debra Duncan television show when he was just 13. Those songs were played for his father every day until he passed. The peace, comfort, and inspiration of that period would serve as the catalyst for Carter’s songwriting and performance career.

Carter bravely pursued his passions kick starting his professional career in 2016 after a stint with Texas dance hall headliners The Emotions. His debut album, Good Bad Idea, in 2019, laid the foundation for his sound paving a lane on the sonic highway blazed by headliners Mark Chesnutt, Jack Ingram, and Easton Corbin. Since then, Carter has been actively touring with his band, performing 150-200 shows each year. Will’s confident, high-energy performances are a country music tour de force appealing to music fans of all ages and putting industry eyes on this remarkable emerging talent.

For four consecutive years, Carter was also awarded “Songwriter of the Year” at the Texas Country Music Association Awards. He has opened for Cody Johnson, Randy Rogers, Bart Crow, Jack Ingram, Larry Gatlin, Saints Eleven, Josh Ward, Cody Canada, and played SXSW. Carter and his music have been featured on podcasts such as The Troubadour, The Sports Guys, and Scenes Live. His releases can also be heard on radio stations nationally with particularly heavy airplay in Texas and surrounding states.

Will’s sound has also won over coveted industry reviewers:

“Carter’s crystal-clear vocals are backed by slick, Red Dirt country filled with fiddles and pedal steel.”
– Texas Music

“Inspired by Mark Chesnutt, John, Michael Montgomery, and Garth Brooks. You can hear it in his rich, supple voice.”
– Houston Chronicle

“He became a singer-songwriter who explores the commonalities and concerns of small-town America.”
– Cowboys & Indians

“Wrong Side of Town has a distinctly country sound which has hints of late 90s and early 2000s song structure to it. While that could sink some songs, it’s a strength of Wrong Side of Town…which hits all the right notes.”
– Matt Bjorke, Roughstock

There are few artists today who can match Carter’s blend of native talent, determination, and drive. Audiences find his lyrics compelling and his live shows invigorating. His previous release, Wrong Side of Town, dropped in June 2022 securing him a debut on the official Academy of Country Music’s New Music Friday Playlist alongside Lauren Alaina, Jimmie Allen, Lee Brice, Easton Corbin, Ronnie Dunn, Brett Eldredge, Eli Young Band, Tyler Hubbard, Chris Lane, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood, Wynonna, and Chris Young.

To stay up to date with Will Carter visit the following:

Website: Will Carter Band
Facebook: Will Carter Band
Instagram: @WillCarterBand
Twitter: @WillCarterBand
TikTok: @WillCarterBand
Spotify: CLICK HERE
YouTube: Will Carter Band