The Jack Wharff Band On Viral Success, Landing A Record Deal And New Music [Exclusive]

The Jack Wharff Band has been making waves by carving out their own path with their electrifying fusion of country, rock, and bluegrass sounds. The newly signed Big Machine Records group first caught fire on TikTok, racking up millions of views on their authentic storytelling and undeniable chemistry as musicians. Now, they’re using the momentum they’ve already gained to take their career to the next level.

Sitting down with Country Now at the 2025 Country Radio Seminar (CRS), the band comprised of vocalist/frontman Jack Wharff, drummer Garrett Howell, bassist Ryan Atchison and guitarist Evan Novoa, proudly shared an insight into their journey thus far, and revealed what’s ahead.

How The Band Formed

The talented group first met around two years ago at an open mic night in their home state of Virginia. It was Jack who had the idea to invite Garrett and Ryan to join him up on stage after their sets and the rest was history.

“We realized that we had something special, and we love playing together. So we kept doing it,” Jack explained. “Later, probably like a year down the line, we met a beautiful man named Evan and decided to take him along the road with us. And we’re all just a band of brothers. We love each other and we love doing what we do.”

They took their performances from local stages to a widespread audience online and started to grow their fanbase, one video at a time. One of the first songs they ever wrote together is titled “Burnin’ It Down,” which now acts as their most energetic moment in live shows, ended up igniting a major flame for them across social media.

Reflecting on the recognition they gained as a result of this song, Garrett shared, “So we do this thing called Saturday writes and we all get in a room and we don’t come out until we have a song written. And so we posted one called ‘Burnin’ It Down’ on social media and for whatever reason, a lot of people liked it as much as we did and we were like, wow, we should definitely keep doing this. So we did.”

Gained Millions Of Views With “Richmond City Jail”

Then, they saw their views skyrocket with the unveiling of their bluegrass leading track, “Richmond City Jail.” The teaser for this song garnered more than 1.3 MILLION views on TikTok, making for what jack describes as a “surreal” moment.

“I actually wrote that one because I wanted to write a bluegrass song cause growing up, I watched my dad play Bluegrass. I’ve been told a lot that Bluegrass is kind of dead now and when I wrote that and when we put that out, it certainly felt like it. So seeing people like it, I’m like, oh my gosh, this is so cool. This is definitely surreal. I couldn’t believe it.” 

@jackwharffband This is a tune I wrote a long time ago thats been collecting dust called Richmond City Jail. @Tobacco Flatts #fyp #fy #country #countrymusictiktoks #bluegrass #countryband #tylerchilders #zachbryan #newmusic #newcountry #newcountrymusic #oldcountry #oldcountrymusic ♬ original sound – jackwharffband

Signed To Big Machine Records

The Jack Wharff Band not only caught the attention of fans, but also of Big Machine Records. Taking notice of the potential this band held, the label jumped at the opportunity to bring them aboard the team last year. The band has since kickstarted the next wave of their careers by dropping two more stand-out songs – “Picture Perfect” and a rendition of Tyler Childers’ fan-favorite track “Messed Up Kid.”

Having the support from Big Machine Records has been an “absolutely amazing” and life-changing opportunity for the band.

 “I think it was like a ‘mom, I made it moment,” said Garrett. “I was doing construction before this music stuff took off. So a lot of early mornings and late nights and kind of always making it work with the band and then going to work and then having practice or going to shows and just being dog tired and just running it. Just trying to do whatever we could. And I remember the moment we got the call from a manager like, ‘Hey, you have a meeting with Big Machine.’ And I’m like, that’s pretty awesome. That’s pretty cool. And I mean, it’s been a dream come true. I have to pinch myself every day.”

Ryan added, “Yeah, I think it’s been absolutely amazing. I thank God for our team that he’s given us every day. It’s just been an absolute blessing. and they work so hard and support us so much. Big thanks to them.” 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jack Wharff Band (@jackwharffband)

Making The Move From Virginia To Nashville

The Virginia natives also recently made the collective decision to become Nashville residents in order to further cement their names in the competitive community of Music City. While it’s been a big transition, every late night and bump in the road has been worth it for them to fully dive into the pursuit of their dreams.

“It’s been a really fun transition. I also just got married. We got married, we had a really big festival in Richmond that we played, we went on our honeymoon and then we moved to Nashville. And then we had a Sam Barber run that we were going on with him. So it’s been very crazy from the jump of getting married and moving here, but it has been one of the best experiences of my life and to have my best friend with me and then my best friends as well with me,” Garrett gushed.

Evan admitted that they are still adjusting to their new home, but are loving every minute of the journey.

“We’ve always taken trips down here. We actually stayed in Garrett’s house a ton when we had work to do. So it’s been a lot of sleepovers and stuff like that, but it’s been a great time. So we love it,” he shared honestly.

They are already feeling “super blessed” for everything that they have accomplished together, and are excited to continue to showcase their musical talent to fans all across the country this year while performing at various festivals as well as supporting Chris Janson on select dates. With each of their live shows, Jack says they strive to bring the most energy possible while also delivering thought-proving stories and messages of hope.

“I would say it’s very crucial to expect to have one, a great time, two be jumping up and down,” he promised.

Currently In The Studio

Fans can also expect more music from the group very soon, as they are currently in the studio working to solidify their sound while drawing from their dynamic range of musical influences.

“We have a lot of really good songs in the vault that we’ve written and we have a lot of good songs planned out to be released. There are a lot of songs that are very near and dear to our hearts that we have poured our blood, sweat and tears into. Stories about our lives together and separate from one another and it’s gonna be a great year for our music,” said Garrett.

Evan went on to share what listeners can expect to hear from them, sonically, moving forward. “I also think there’s a huge variety just kind of going with our different sounds and all our influences that you can expect, music that you can drive to listen to enjoy, but also just be like, wow, that song really has a good message behind it and really resonate with you.

This is clearly just the beginning for The Jack Wharff Band. With their raw talent, infectious energy, and unwavering dedication on full display in everything they do together, the band is poised for a breakout year.