Full Circle

Sean Stemalyโ€™s โ€˜Product of a Small Townโ€™ pays homage to River City roots

The grandstands of the Vanderburgh County Fair were rocking on July 27 in a homecoming for Sean Stemaly, who returned to the same venue where heโ€™s attended countless live music shows. Only this time, it was Stemaly entertaining fairgoers using his charming southern drawl, heartland soul, and catchy country tunes.

โ€œIโ€™ve been in this crowd so many times back whenever I didnโ€™t even know I could do music,โ€ he says. โ€œThis one specifically is kind of cool to me just because five years ago, I never wouldโ€™ve thought I would be on the stage side of things.โ€

The William Henry Harrison High School graduate has rocketed into the country music scene from humble roots, spending his days in fields singing along to the radio atop a tractor while working for his familyโ€™s business, Stemaly Excavating. He released a few videos online in the mid-2010s showcasing his singing prowess but had no intention of breaking out into the competitive country music industry. It wasnโ€™t until a friend convinced him to go to Nashville, Tennessee, to try his hand at songwriting that he became obsessed.

โ€œIโ€™d work all day for my dad (Jeff) and grandpa (Larry) and then write songs all night,โ€ he says. โ€œEventually, I had to make a choice between the two.โ€

One of Pandoraโ€™s 2021 country artists to watch, Stemaly moved to the Music City in 2017, and two years later, his dreams became a reality when he signed with Big Loud Records after the success of his single โ€œGeorgia.โ€ His music has already garnered more than 135 million on-demand streams, and his debut album โ€œProduct of a Small Town,โ€ released earlier this year, pays homage to his experiences growing up in Southern Indiana and relates to his days as a heavy equipment operator.

โ€œI havenโ€™t been doing music my whole life,โ€ Stemaly says. โ€œA lot of people I grew up with are blue-collar workers, and I feel like Iโ€™m a blue-collar guy. The experiences from living that kind of lifestyle helped me write the songs that Iโ€™ve made.โ€

Stemaly is on tour promoting his debut album and will open on three dates of Justin Mooreโ€™s โ€œThe Country On It Tourโ€ in September.

Country Road

seanstemaly.com

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Jodi Keen
Jodi Keen
Jodi Keen is the managing editor of Evansville Living and Evansville Business magazines. The Illinois native joined Tucker Publishing Group, Inc., in April 2021.

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