Rising country-pop star Griffen Palmer is more than meets the eye. Armed with instantly accessible lyrics, small town sentiments, and deeply heartfelt ballads, Palmer teeters on the precipice of new-found acclaim.

Already a go-to songwriter for high-profile Music City staples like Florida Georgia Line (“Second Guessing”) and Keith Urban (“Polaroid”), the singer/songwriter has been making waves ever since winning NBC’s Songland, where he worked with acclaimed hit maker Shane McAnally and FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley on crafting “Second Guessing.” And he’s only just getting started: Palmer is currently readying his debut album, which is set to feature a new crop of immaculate country-pop gems.

Palmer has been attuned to great songwriting from a young age. As one of six siblings in Ontario, Palmer grew up in a big, musical family and drew inspiration from pop-rock staples like John Mayer and Kings of Leon. His father, also a musician, bought Palmer a drum kit when he was still in elementary school; he’d point out strong lyrics in other artists’ work like The Eagles, Elton John, and Bruce Hornsby, and encourage Palmer to write his own original songs.

While attending Ohio’s Bowling Green State University on a Division 1 rugby scholarship, Palmer would frequently play four-hour cover sets in bars around his college town. Taking audience song requests, he began to nurture a love for country music. After graduation and back in Toronto, Palmer was introduced to GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Geoff Warburton (5 Seconds of Summer, Shawn Mendes) at a house party. The two hit it off and Palmer relocated to Nashville, where he signed a publishing deal with Big Loud in 2019.

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