Music-lovers unite. Those who are truly fond listen to a little bit of everything.

We make playlists. We have favorites. We have songs for sunny days and songs for the rain. There are songs to lift our spirits and ones that take us to the very depths of sadness.

Enter John Moreland. He’s a soulful indie-country singer that does sad songs very, very well.

In fact, he’s been able to completely build a fanbase around his heart-shredding ballads about death, doubt, and solitude. And while this may seem rather dark, his beautiful weary and worn songs are the ones that seemingly resonate with people the most.

Moreland is a singer-songwriter from Tulsa, Oklahoma and he knows a thing or two about evoking emotion.

A 2015 performance of his original song “Hang Me in the Tulsa County Stars” completely proves that he can do superbly sad, and do it superbly well.

The artist performed the song live at the TuneIn house at South by Southwest (SXSW). The video was uploaded to YouTube where it received monumental praise. His performance has garnered much attention, to the tune of four million views and fifty-five thousand likes.

Moreland presents himself immediately as a skilled and thoughtful lyricist, ably painting a picture in your mind, orchestrated by the soft twang of his acoustic guitar.

The video features him singing honestly and straight-forward, hiding nothing and giving everything. It’s this type of performance that people remember, music-lovers or not.

The black and white video is a raw and tender moment in time.

His calm but unwavering voice illustrates a certain kind of sadness that is sure to move something deep inside of you. The fans of the YouTube video overwhelmingly reflect the same.

One viewer remarked:

“Why Why Why is there so much garbage on the radio while talent like this is largely unheard of?!? It’s a shame.”

Another commenter applauded the performance:

“I just want to reach to John Moreland. Just to let him know, he touched my soul with his song. That’s all I have to say. Thank you John. I love your music!”

Moreland is a rising indie artist in Oklahoma.

His poignant, soul-crushing songs are gaining heavy traction on the scene. He likes to sing about desolation and downfall in the American heartland – themes he weaves across his catalog of songs. Often his music is pensive, and he relays this with an eloquent voice and flawless playing.

He observed much success after releasing his 2013 album, In The Throes. It was there that he showed the world what he was made of with his confessional and intimate lyrics.

Moreland’s most recent 2020 release is entitled LP5 and continues to carry forth the legacy he’s subtly working to establish. The 34-year-old songwriter currently has a booked tour schedule for the summer. He can be followed across social media as well as his personal website.

Check out his soul-moving performance for yourself in the video below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Sources: See It Live, Pitchfork, Glide Magazine