Country Rebel Records launches with Justin Holmes as flagship artist

Music and lifestyle brand Country Rebel launched Country Rebel Records. The founders of the company, brothers Darin and Kevin Bluealso announced singer-songwriter and veteran Justin Holmes as the label’s first signing. Her first single, “Damn Addiction”, is available everywhere now.

Holmes and Country Rebel first connected in 2017 when the brand shared one of Holmes’ Facebook cover videos. After being shared on the Country Rebel Network of over 18 million fans, the video went viral.

In 2019, Country Rebel invited Holmes to perform his original song “Damn Addiction” on The George Jones Sessions in which the brand hosted over 30 artists to record acoustic sessions to promote on its platform. In January 2022, the track was discovered by users on SoundCloud and TikTok, and has now been used in over 9,000 videos on TikTok and garnered over 220,000 streams on SoundCloud within a month.

A native of Paducah, Kentucky, Homes got his first guitar at age 15, shortly before his father passed away. Quickly becoming an outlet to express himself and feel a sense of release from the death of his father, he became very interested in songwriting and singing on stage.

Holmes enlisted in the US Air Force as a member of the security forces at age 18 and spent most of his 14 years of service as a weapons instructor. He took his guitar with him and often played for his military colleagues. Songwriting became an emotional outlet for Homes, tapping into past trauma, addiction, his love for his family, and his spiritual beliefs.

“We moved Country Rebel’s operations from San Diego to the Nashville area for several reasons,” says CFO and co-founder Darin Blue. “The two main ones were to be closer to the artists, labels, management companies and publicists that we are so closely connected with and to immerse ourselves in the industry and learn the business side of music under all its corners. Creating Country Rebel Records was in our long term plans, and signing Justin Holmes is the perfect artist to launch the label.

“We first discovered Justin through his music and were incredibly impressed with his talent, his writing and his character as a father and husband,” adds co-founder Kevin Blue. “His authentic character, his passion for country music and his divine talents made him the perfect first signing for Country Rebel Records.”