Warren Zeiders, a breakout country singer known for his gritty vocals and high-energy blend of Southern rock influences, almost didn’t pursue a career in the music industry.
The Pennsylvania native initially focused on his athletic endeavors after being recruited to play lacrosse at Maryland’s Frostburg State University, where he was studying to become a medical salesman.
However, after dedicating more than a decade to the sport, his time on the field was cut short when he sustained multiple concussions his freshman year.
“It was hard to say goodbye. You do that for so long, it becomes a part of you. It was hard for my parents. I remember calling my grandfather in tears because my grandparents didn’t miss a single game of my junior and senior year of playing high school lacrosse,” Zeiders, 25, told Fox News on March 13.
Unable to continue playing, Zeiders—who grew up singing gospel hymns in church—pivoted to music after the demise of his collegiate lacrosse career.
In March 2020, he recorded an acoustic cover of Chris Stapleton’s 2015 single “Tennessee Whiskey” and posted it on TikTok, gaining thousands of fans overnight.
“I’m a firm believer that God has a plan for everyone, and we all have our own gifts, and some of us find them, find them sooner than others,” he said. “But I do believe this I was meant to do.”
Zeiders later shot to fame in 2021 with the release of his viral single “Ride the Lightning.” The following year, the then-22-year-old landed a deal with Warner Records, making his debut at the Grand Ole Opry not long after.
In August 2023, Zeiders released his debut studio album with Warner Records, titled “Pretty Little Poison,” which featured the tracks “Pretty Little Poison,” “Weeping Willow,” and “God Only Knows.”
“I was raised on country, rock, and Christian music. That music helped shape me into who I am. I needed this album to touch all of those bases because if I’m going to create something, I have to believe in it,” the singer said in a statement.
“Faith, family, and athletics were the three pillars of my life, long before I started playing music. I haven’t forgotten that. I’m always learning new things—if you stop doing that, you stop growing—but I’m staying true to who I am, too.
“This album is my story. It’s who I am. It’s who I’ve always been. I may not be playing lacrosse anymore, but I haven’t lost the discipline or focus that I learned as an athlete. I still put in the work. I still push myself. I go onstage and treat it like it’s a game day.”
Ode to the Country Lifestyle
In April 2024, Zeiders took home the “Breakthrough Male Video of the Year” at the CMT Music Awards, going on to open for fellow country singer Jelly Roll’s “Beautifully Broken Tour.”After releasing his latest album, “Relapse, Lies, & Betrayal,” on March 14, the singer is set to perform at the 2025 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on Saturday.
Speaking to Fox News, Zeiders expressed his appreciation for being recognized by true cowboys, noting that he has “so much love and value and respect” for the rodeo culture.
“The country lifestyle was where I was raised in rural Pennsylvania and growing up in a small town and living behind my grandparents,” said Zeiders, who hails from the unincorporated community of Hershey.
“That traditional family lifestyle of [saying] sir and ma'am and just how that culture is that still, that it’s that ode to that just traditional living and the way they treat people and how they live their lives,” he added, describing the lifestyle as being “so intoxicating.”
“And that’s why you’re seeing such a large love for it growing in today’s modern generation and why country music’s growing so much, because it is welcoming. It is. Everyone wants to be a part of it now.”
