Air Force Veteran Justin Holmes Releases Highly-Anticipated Debut Single

Country Rebel Records

Country Rebel Records is excited to announce the release of “Drink You Down,” the debut single from the label’s flagship artist, Justin Holmes.

Two years after the viral release of the live acoustic performance of his original song “Damn Addiction” Justin Holmes released his first studio single, “Drink You Down,” on Friday, February 2. The song was penned by Holmes and was inspired by his father’s addiction to alcohol, a vice that contributed to his father’s passing. Justin composed a story in his mind about depending on alcohol to deal with the pain of losing someone, and turned it into a song.

“You see a lot of people go down these spirals, and they just drink themselves away, while they’re trying to drink the person away,” Holmes said.

In April 2023, Justin Holmes stepped into Blackbird Studio to record “Drink You Down” and three other songs for his debut studio release with Country Rebel Records. “Drink You Down” serves as the first single and was produced by platinum recording artist Jerrod Niemann.

“Once I got to meet Justin, hear his authentic story-telling, experience his straight-from-the-heart music, I couldn’t wait to get into the studio and help bring his vision to life. I learned he’s a hardworking family man that served our country & there’s no better combination of values to represent country music …Fans will hear all that and his authenticity in every note of his music,” said Jerrod Niemann, producer and platinum recording artist

(L to R) Kevin Blue, Justin Holmes, Jerrod Niemann, Darin Blue / Country Rebel Records

Not only is “Drink You Down” the first studio single for Justin Holmes, but also the first single released by Country Rebel Records. This marks a significant milestone in the company’s 10- year history as a leading country music and lifestyle brand.

“Justin Holmes is the kind of guy you want to see win. We’ve been lucky enough to form a friendship with Justin over the past several years and be trusted by him to bring his vision to life when he was ready. Justin loves his family, loves his country, and still works hard every day like his fellow Americans. He represents everything Country Rebel is all about. With the help and mentorship of producer Jerrod Niemann we believe there are no limits to what he can achieve,” said Darin Blue, owner/founder of Country Rebel Records.

In addition to the “Drink You Down” single release on DSPs, the official studio video for the song was released on YouTube.

Country Rebel Records

About Justin Holmes

A Paducah, Kentucky, native and Air Force veteran, Justin Holmes gained national attention in 2019 after the live session audio of his original song, “Damn Addiction,” went viral. Recorded at the George Jones Museum as part of Country Rebel’s George Jones Sessions, the video boasts 4.1 million views to date. Justin’s first 2 live session tracks, released to streaming services in early 2022, have yielded over 26 million streams and counting.

YouTube video

Justin got his first guitar at 15 years old, shortly before his father passed away. Playing guitar quickly became an outlet for him to express himself and feel a sense of release while dealing with his father’s death. Holmes enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a Security Forces member at age 18 and spent most of his 14 years of service as a weapons instructor. Songwriting became an emotional outlet for Justin, pulling from his love for his family, past traumas, addiction, and his spiritual beliefs — intertwining them all in his lyrics.

He now resides in Virginia with his wife and children, who he proudly declares are the most important thing in his life. When not promoting his career, free time is spent with family enjoying the outdoors and simply enjoying their lives together.

About Country Rebel Records

Country Rebel Records was established in 2022 by brothers Darin and Kevin Blue, founders of the country music lifestyle and clothing brand, Country Rebel. Country Rebel boasts a network of over 15 million Facebook fans, 680k Instagram followers, 1.7 million TikTok followers as well as an in-house editorial team.

The new record label provides an outlet to support a growing community of artists through social content, digital advertising and live acoustic performances enjoyed by the company’s ever-growing fanbase.

Connect with Justin Holmes on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Download or stream his new single HERE. Watch the video for “Drink You Down” below.

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