HARDY’s “This Ole Boy” is as Redneck as it Sounds in All the Best Ways

Nashville songwriter Michael Hardy has certainly had a taste of success in the country music with writing credits on Morgan Wallen/ Florida Georgia Line’s #1 “Up Down,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Simple,” as well as Seth Ennis’ “Call Your Momma.” Florida Georgia Line, however, recognized his potential as more than just a writer (as they seem to have become accustomed to doing) and encouraged him to pursue it. Florida Georgia Line certainly called it right on this one, because Michael Hardy, now HARDY as an artist, just released his debut EP with Big Loud Records; and it features no shortage of praisable elements.

HARDY grew up in a 7,500 population town called Philadelphia, Mississippi. He is no stranger to real country, farm life; and it comes out strongly in his four song EP, “This Ole Boy,” as even the name would suggest. With titles like “This Ole Boy,” “4x4” (in reference to a truck, not lumber of course), and “Rednecker,” he definitely shows you what you’re getting into from the get go. Not every artist can make a hard core country boy approach to an EP work for them on a commercial level, but HARDY definitely does. His incredible use of words that work seamlessly with melody is present throughout the entire EP, coming in particularly strong in the single, “Throwback”; and the production is no less than what you would expect from a label like Big Loud, supporting the craftsmanship of the songwriting quite effectively. His unmistakably country, yet easy-to-listen-to vocals drive it home as a homerun debut. These four songs of the new Big Loud artist, HARDY, are definitely worth a listen.