Going against the grain isn’t easy; it’s often accompanied by splinters and snags. Georgia-born singer-songwriter Slater Nalley, a wordsmith blessed with a gravelly and soulful twang, knows this firsthand. He also knows that in the end, it’s worth it. At 17 years old, Slater’s vision and actualized purpose is that of someone with many more birthdays behind them, although he acknowledges it wasn’t always easy to embrace. “I’ve had some really tough times that many of my peers don’t know about…ones where I questioned a lot of things in life like what my purpose was and things no kid should really feel,” Slater shares, recalling the years spent “joking around” with his peers, which often ended with Slater being at the receiving end of classmates’ ridicule.
“I want my music to spread happiness, but have room for tears, too,” he says. Those messages are ones of heartbreak and restlessness and the many trials that come with being a teen, yet they transcend age. “I’m going to work my hardest to put songs out there that say, ‘Hey, you’re not alone.’” Raised just outside of Atlanta with three younger sisters, Slater found solace on the weekends at his family’s property in South Georgia. That’s where he’d hunt, fish, ride horses— you name it. “That was paradise. Still is,” he says. “That helped me get through a lot of the hardships that I went through as a kid just because when I got down there, I got to be with my dad, and he got to teach me everything that I needed to know about life. Both my parents have supported me through thick and thin…I love my family to death, and I’d do anything for them because they’ve done everything for me.” It was also in those quiet moments amid the red clay and trees that Slater painted the future he saw for himself, even if his classmates back home couldn’t see it quite yet.
But no matter where Slater was, he always gravitated toward music. He treasured the moments on the way to school when he’d listen to the radio with his parents, and he favored participating in musicals over sports in middle school—something that often made him feel like an outcast among his peers who’d question his nonconforming interests. Not a fan of reading music, he taught himself to play piano by ear. At 14, his aunt gifted him a guitar, and after learning chords on YouTube, he’s been playing and writing music ever since. As Slater continued to hone his craft, he began sharing original music on TikTok. Though he’s admittedly not the biggest fan of social media, he saw it as another means to connect and relate to people, and that’s exactly what it did. The fourth video he posted to the platform blew up—a Tyler Childers cover that now has over 5.3M views.
While validation online is enough to make anyone feel as though they’re on the right track, it wasn’t until he used his talents to help his English teacher, Mrs. Davis, heal in the wake of the tragic loss of her son that he saw what his gifts are truly meant for. After Mrs. Davis wrote a poem about the tragedy, she asked Slater if he’d be willing to turn it into a song. He knew it was something he was meant to do, so he agreed, crafting a song called “Traces of You” that helped both his teacher and members of the community heal and celebrate the life of Mrs. Davis’s son. Seeing firsthand how music can move hearts and bring people together inspired the singer’s purpose.
As a songwriter, Slater is an old soul who gravitates more toward the music of the ‘60s and ‘70s than what’s on the charts today. “I like how you can see the roots of modern music in old music and how special that is,” he explains. His sound is steeped in authenticity, equipped with a raspy growl when he needs it and a smooth and clean croon when that better serves his lyrics. Slater finds himself on the fringe of Americana, Country, and Southern Rock that has become so beloved in recent years to the credit of artists like Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, and Chris Stapleton—who he pulls his inspiration from. He adds John Prine to that list, too, who he considers one of his idols. “John Prine basically told the world that a country music singer didn’t have to fit into a certain mold—they could create stories that reflect their life. I think his storytelling is some of the best.”
In 2024, Slater signed with multi-platinum hit songwriter Dallas Davidson’s Play It Again Music—a telltale indicator of the budding lyricist’s writing chops. Now, Slater is primed to introduce his original music to the world, beginning with a track he penned at only 15 years old called “Foolish Pride,” releasing soon. Country tradition is impossible to ignore in the song where he works to fight his inner demons that are to blame for a failing relationship with tender, twangy vocals, and a jagged edge. “It’s about a relationship that was going well and then kind of took a turn,” Slater
explains. “When you realize some things about yourself need to work on, those things can kind of show up in different areas of your life and can be hard to control. Being able to stop them is real hard, and that’s what this song is about—just living in a relationship where you know you’re the problem in some aspects and you want to fix it but there’s not much you can do at that time.”
“Foolish Pride” proves Slater’s ability to take the traditional sounds of the past he cherishes and breathe new life into them. “At the end of the day, I’m thankful to be here,” he says. “I’m thankful that God has put me here and I’m thankful that I have been in such a fortunate situation to pursue what I love to do, and I’ve met the right people.” This great opportunity proves that the naysayers he faced in school who doubted his musical gifts and passion couldn’t see the bigger picture Slater always had in mind. Now, they have no choice but to see it. And who knows, maybe he’ll inspire them to go against the grain.