‘Catch of the Day’ – Backroad Anthem – “Torn” – [VIDEO]

Today our focus on Unsigned/Indy Artist Thursday is on a band from Arkansas, who recently suffered a major tragedy, losing their lead singer, but vowing to move on in his memory.

Backroad Anthem came together in Fayetteville, AR, when singer Craig Strickland, guitarist, Toby Freeman, fiddle player Eric Dysart, guitarist Josh Bryant, bass player Brandon Robold and drummer Isaac Senty met at church. Starting as a group of strangers with a common passion for music, they quickly bonded and discovered they caught lightening in a bottle.

In their first six months of being a band, Backroad Anthem opened for Dustin Lynch, and Eli Young Band. Within a year, they had shared the stage with Toby Keith and Luke Bryan at the Thunder Mountain Country Music Festival. The group built a large fan base playing in small clubs and colleges, opening for national acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jake Owen, Little Big Town, Sam Hunt, Justin Moore and more.

Two years after their formation, the band was opening for Justin Moore at a show in Little Rock, when Moore's manager, Peter Hartung, offered them a shot in Nashville, signing them to L3 Management. Along with producer Jody Stevens, the band worked hard and has delivered an incredible five song EP called Torn. The EP debuted at #31 on the iTunes chart in September.

The band seemed headed down the road to Nashville success, when in December, lead singer Craig Strickland and his best friend Chase Moreland decided to go duck hunting in the face of an oncoming storm. When the pair did not return home as scheduled and failed to respond to attempts to contact them failed, a search for them was launched. Their capsized boat and Strickland's dog were found within a few days. Both Moreland and Strickland's bodies were found along the banks of the river they had been hunting along; Strickland's dog had been standing guard until they were found.

Since Strickland's passing, many questions have arisen regarding the future of Backroad Anthem. The remaining members have recently announced they will continue on as a group in Strickland's memory. In his honor, they have released the first single and title track from the EP. Backroad Anthem and "Torn" is today's Unsigned/Indy Artist Thursday Catch of the Day; new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.