Raised on Tim McGraw, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, and a mix of 60s and 70s rock, Rhys Rutherford pulls from wide-ranging influences, bringing a jukebox of inspiration with him to every writing room. Immersed in music from an early age, Rutherford’s father, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Rivers Rutherford, instilled in him a heartbeat for creation. Rhys honored his hankering to dig deeper, starting a cover band with his friends and began songwriting. Down the road a few years and two semesters into his time at Ole Miss, music’s pull took over, moving him back home to Nashville to dive head first into writing full time. Rhys posted a video of himself covering “Feet Wanna Run” by family friend and rising country visionary ERNEST on social media and caught ERNEST’s attention, leading to a publishing deal with ERN’s Cadillac Music and Big Loud in March 2023. Since signing his publishing deal, Rutherford has quickly picked up steam, earning his first major label cut with Bailey Zimmerman’s “Is This Really Over?” from his record-breaking debut album Religiously.