About

Copper Flats is a country music trio debuting in 2025. Made up of band members Brandon Kelly (lead vocals), Jeremy Castaldo (keys/acoustic guitar/electric guitar/background vocals), and Drew Smith (acoustic guitar/background vocals), Copper Flats is already lighting up its followers’ feeds on socials with charismatic personalities and thick country sounds. This Arkansas-based band took the long-term approach to their music by spending six months in Nashville meticulously writing and recording a year's worth of original songs. Inspired by time with family, the outdoors, and everyday life, the depth of the lyrics tells a story we’ve all lived.

As longtime founders and musicians in previous projects, the bandmates are no strangers to big stages. If you thought you recognized Smith and Castaldo as original members of Midnight South and supporting musicians for country artist Tyler Kinch, you’d be correct. Among the three band members, they have shared the stage supporting some of the biggest names in country music, like Kenny Chesney, Parker McCollum, Justin Moore, Dylan Scott, Bailey Zimmerman, Flatland Cavalry, Nate Smith, Randy Houser, Lonestar, Tracy Byrd, Aaron Tippin, Collin Raye, Sammy Kershaw, Tyler Farr, Corey Kent, Jon Langston, Sister Hazel, Easton Corbin, and Tanner Usrey.

“We started this project in September of 2024,” says Castaldo. “Heading to Nashville, we set off to write and record a single tune with our producer and friend, Aaron Gillespie. I have worked with Aaron in the past on previous projects, and he is the best in the business.” What started as a fun side project, though, quickly turned out to be much more after the first song was completed. Leaning on advice from Gillespie (Thomas Rhett, Mitchell Tenpenny, RaeLynn), the members of Copper Flats have shaped their modern country melodies - with beefy rhythm section parts, catchy guitar riffs, and thick three-part harmonies - around Kelly’s authentic country vocals. 

These days the metaphorical “dirt road” of the country music genre is wide and offers plenty of opportunity to enjoy everything from the classic sounds of Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, and Waylon Jennings to a more progressive sound with Post Malone’s return to his country roots with his album, F-1 Trillion. With appreciation for the pioneers that paved the way for today’s country genre and respect for the artists who are giving the genre a tip of their caps, Copper Flats found its sound right in the middle. 

Lead singer Kelly grew up in the flatlands of northeast Arkansas, and his voice doesn’t just sound country, it is country. With each note you can hear a voice woven with the memories of long summers, hard work, and Southern gospel echoing in the pews of a small church. Kelly’s youth consisted of time spent on backroads listening to George Strait, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, and others. 

Copper Flats’ first single, “Should’ve Been Doin’,” toes the line of modern/’90s country as the group digs into big harmonies on the chorus, while Kelly’s pure vocal tone pays homage to that classic country vibe. It tells a story of wishing, thinking, and hoping you could be living that life, “how the cowboys do it.” Castaldo recalls, “We went back and forth, kind of listening to Brandon’s story, and writing accordingly. You never know what you’re going to get sitting down for the first time as a band, writing your first single. Needless to say, we are incredibly happy with how ‘Should've Been Doin'’ turned out.” Kelly reflects on their first tune fondly by adding, “It’s a story I feel like only I can sing, but everyone can relate to it.”

The band has loaded both barrels for additional releases in 2025 with heavy-hitting tunes- Songs like “Household Name” continue the theme of the band members' humble family roots in Arkansas with hard working mothers and fathers. The hook of the chorus, “If these walls could talk you’d hear them say, I’m a household name,” echoes a key value: “We don’t need fortune and fame, but thank God everyday for the lives he’s blessed us with and the opportunities to lead our families and households well,” says Castaldo.

The song “Golden” is the perfect song to listen to when you hop in the truck and cruise the open road on a warm day with the one you love. With hints of nostalgia sprinkled throughout musically and lyrically, this particular tune will give the listener those windows-down, dirt-road vibes. 

“Airplanes and Telephones” is a song written by Andrew Dorff (who wrote hits like “Save It for a Rainy Day” [Kenny Chesney], “Somebody’s Heartbreak” [Hunter Hayes], “My Eyes” and ”Neon” [Blake Shelton]), Jonathan Singleton (whose writing credits include songs for Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, and Zac Brown Band), and Zach Crowell (who wrote/produced songs for Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood). Castaldo says, Classic country sounds sing a song of heartbreak and describe all of our efforts to win ‘the’ girl back. This song will hit a nerve and will most definitely be playing on repeat on the listeners’ boombox radio.” 

Each song on the release schedule for 2025 offers something unique that listeners are sure to love. “Blue Collar Man” highlights a culture of hard work that has been passed down for generations and is the modern-day anthem of factory workers, mill workers, and union labor in industrial plants across America. “My dad was a truck driver, my grandfather was a lineman, my father-in-law is a welder, and most of my family worked factory jobs or in the steel industry,” says Kelly. “Not only are blue collar workers the cornerstones of America, they are the cornerstones of my family as well, so this song spoke to me about the sacrifices and hard work that, most of the time, goes unnoticed by the general public.”

Adding to the list of tunes, “Out of Town” was probably one of the most fun writes the band had. Kelly recalls, “We knew exactly what we wanted going into it. The verse lyrics rush onward, embodying the hectic pace of life—juggling responsibilities, work, and unwanted tasks, all to relish the freedom of putting it all aside, and finding peace ‘somewhere out of town.’ We hope this song is a reminder to everyone that it’s okay to put it all down and find your peace. Hunt. Hike. Camp. Spend time with family and friends. Get outside and live.” 

With its “Fires and Friends” Tour, starting in early spring of 2025, Copper Flats is giving its home state of Arkansas a grassroots tour that gives a behind-the-scenes look into how the band originated and gives listeners a chance to get to know the music in an intimate live setting. "Our Fires and Friends tour is a backyard or indoor acoustic show where we play our songs along with some covers, and we talk about who we are and share the stories behind our songs," Smith says. Those able to catch one of their shows and visit with them are sure to walk away as friends.