Country singer Zach Top says modern country music became overly polished, with perfection in tuning and production leaving some of its emotional “soul” behind. He believes audiences are increasingly drawn to rawer, more authentic performers and styles, helping explain both bluegrass’s renewed popularity and his own rapid rise.

Top made the comments at Montana’s Under the Big Sky festival, where he premiered “Good Girls & Cowgirls”, due for release on 21 August as a 7-inch single alongside “Other Side of Hurtin’”. He plans to include the song on a new album expected next spring, possibly in April; he also cited artists such as Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan as examples of successful, more unvarnished country music.