There’s covering a country icon… and then there’s getting noticed by them. Aussie artist Morgan Evans just had a full circle moment after sharing his take on a Garth Brooks classic, and Brooks himself actually weighed in.
Evans posted a snippet of a stripped back cover of Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til the Sun Come Up) from his episode on the God’s Country Podcast on his Instagram and it blew up quick.
The clip has amassed over a whopping 2 million views in the last 24 hours.
Although Evans attributed the cover to a bit of “muscle memory”, covering Brooks is no small move, his catalogue is basically sacred ground in country music, especially for artists who grew up on that ‘90s sound.
Fans were already on board, but things really kicked up when Brooks himself entered the chat.
Brooks commented:
“Dude!!!!!
Are you kidding me????
I can’t sing that song without going into cardiac arrest and you guys make it look easy!!!!
QUIT doing Garth stuff better than Garth!!!!
Honored, flattered and absolutely LOVE that moment!! love, g”
Casual.
It’s a big moment, but also kind of tracks. Evans has been carving out a lane that blends Nashville polish with a more laid-back, modern feel - something that still respects the roots of country without feeling stuck in them.
And getting recognition from someone like Garth Brooks is more than just a nice comment, it’s almost a career milestone.
Evans’ latest album Steel Town marks a clear shift into more personal, grounded territory, leaning heavily on his roots in Newcastle and the reset he took after a turbulent few years.
The record was shaped by time spent back home, reconnecting with “old mates, familiar places and salt water,” as Evans puts it, and that sense of reflection runs through all 11 tracks. Evans is set to tour Australia and New Zealand this May and June.
MORGAN EVANS
STEEL TOWN TOUR
With special guest Laci Kaye Booth
Thu 21 May - ICF Warehouse | Perth WA (18+)
Sat 23 May - Forum Melbourne | Melbourne VIC (18+)
Mon 25 May - Thebarton Theatre | Adelaide SA (Lic. All Ages)
Wed 27 May - Enmore Theatre | Sydney NSW (Lic. All Ages)
Sat 30 May - The Fortitude Music Hall | Brisbane QLD (18+)
Tue 2 June - Powerstation | Auckland NZ (18+)
Thu 4 June - Christchurch Town Hall | Christchurch NZ (Lic. All Ages)
Tickets to all shows are available now via frontiertouring.com/morganevans.
Countrytown brings you Australia’s best country music news, interviews, charts and more every week! This post was authored by Countrytown and originally published on the Countrytown website. It has been re-published with permission.
