Oliver Anthony will launch his first headlining international tour in February, demonstrating his universal appeal to people from all walks of life.
He made music history this year by becoming the first artist in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts without previously having a song on the charts. He is also the first living male songwriter to chart 13 songs simultaneously in Billboard’s Top 50 Digital Song Sales.
He is finalist for two awards at the Nov. 19 Billboard Music Awards--Top Song Sales Artist and Top Selling Song.
A musical poet of the people, Anthony became an overnight national sensation with the release of “Rich Men North of Richmond,” which has been dubbed the nation’s “blue-collar anthem.” It has resonated powerfully with people from all around the world, as evidenced by the demand for his shows in Sweden, where the tour begins Feb. 1, as well as Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
“Rich Men North of Richmond” has been streamed more than 93 million times on YouTube and more than 125 million across streaming platforms. Five of his other songs have made iTunes’ Top 10, with “I’ve Got to Get Sober” reaching No. 3. “Ain’t Got a Dollar” claimed the No. 1 spot on Spotify’s Viral 50 list and No. 2 on ITunes.
His passionate voice, featuring a unique and emotional rasp shaped by his personal battles, captures the despair of those living without hope, especially those who live in small-town or rural America. His songs address the nation’s wealth gap, suicide rate, high taxes, and imbalance and abuse of power. Variety says, “It almost seems as if Oliver Anthony hadn’t come along, someone would have had to invent him.”
Anthony says he is still processing the overwhelming response to his music. “It's been challenging understanding what my purpose is and what I'm supposed to do with the opportunity I've been given. I don't deserve one bit of any of this,” he says.
The tour is called Out of The Woods because his heart is in the woods.
“I am drawn to the rolling hills, flowing creeks, swaying pines and mighty oaks of rural Virginia. Day brings the sunshine, and with it the songbirds, the crickets and the frogs. Nightfall brings the serenity of a dark outline of forest against a moonlit sky. The coyote hunt the deer, the bobcat scream and the owls sing. Nature doesn't concern itself with the problems of man. And when I'm immersed in it, neither do I.
“Meanwhile, our cities are littered with suffering souls. Strung out on drugs, behind on bills, in failing marriages, living on lost hope. Our government has failed us. Our politicians, who are elected with the duty of representing us, reject us. They sell themselves to the highest bidder at our expense. Our society treats our adults like children and our children like adults. It almost seems like the people in charge want this country to fail. They make decisions that seem contrary to common sense. We are in a degenerating society.
“In 2024, I feel compelled to connect with other lost souls like me. The people battling sobriety, depression, debt, divorce. The ones being taxed to death but ignored. The blue-collar and middle-class families who can't get ahead because the system in place is getting ahead instead, at their expense.”
He admits that he is simultaneously thrilled and terrified about launching this tour. “But I need to meet other people like me, as many of them as I can. Then I won't feel like a such a let-down, when I do decide it's time for me to go hide in the pines again for a good long while.”
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