Six Country Artists That Should Be Featured on the New Yellowstone Season Soundtrack

*This article contains Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 spoilers*

There was a time when it looked like the final instalment of Taylor Sheridan's hit neo-Western series, Yellowstone, was cursed, with Season 5 Part 2 being plagued by COVID-19, SAG-AFTRA strikes and, of course, the long-running dispute with Kevin Costner.

On November 10th, though, the moment we never thought would come finally arrived, with the first episode of Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 airing in the US via Paramount Network.

Many of the major talking points in the new Yellowstone season inevitably revolve around the show's beloved lead characters, with the fates of Kayce, Beth, Rip and Monica all hanging in the balance following the shocking death of Kevin Costner's John Dutton.

However, for country music aficionados, one of the greatest qualities of Yellowstone is its groundbreaking soundtrack, with the choices as to which artists to spotlight each season taken extremely seriously by the show's writer, Taylor Sheridan, and music supervisor, Andrea von Foerster. Yellowstone has played a key role in accelerating the ascents of Zach Bryan, Lainey Wilson and Colter Wall, as well as introducing fans to a slew of up-and-comers such as Vincent Neil Emerson, Tanner Usrey, Shane Smith & The Saints, Jackson Dean and many more.

A number of these artists have made on-screen cameos during smoke-filled dive-bar scenes, while Lainey Wilson even featured as a returning character, Abby, who's expected to appear later in Season 5 Part 2 as the love interest of Ryan, played by Ian Bohen.

So far in Season 5 Part 2, we've seen Charles Wesley Godwin's folk-infused ballad, ‘Temporary Town’, added to the soundtrack, alongside Flatland Cavalry and Kaitlin Butts’ ’How Long’, Colter Wall's ‘For a Long While’ and ‘Night Herding Song’ and more.

Given Yellowstone's track record as the springboard from which a slew of country careers have been either launched or bolstered, we've curated a list of six fast-emerging artists that we think would be perfect for the final chapter of the blockbuster series.

Here are Holler's six artists that we'd like to see featured in the new Yellowstone season.

One of the break-out artists of the past 12 months, Dylan Gossett's sparse, brooding sound is pulled straight from the Zach Bryan playbook, with his viral, down-and-out hit, ‘Coal’, approaching 250 million streams on Spotify alone at the time of writing.

Gossett is by no means a ‘new’ artist anymore, as the Texas crooner has firmly established his next-big-thing status. Nonetheless, the emotional intricacy and yearning, harmonica-laden balladry he favours - embodied by ‘Tree Birds’ - would align seamlessly with Yellowstone's penchant for wide shots of dramatic Montana landscapes.

‘Lone Ole Cowboy’ would be perfect for one of the show's signature, expansive scenes featuring a herd of stampeding cattle being pursued by the Dutton Ranch's army of cowboys.

Out of all the artists on this list, it's hard to find someone that fits the Yellowstone bill quite as perfectly as Alberta prodigy, Noeline Hofmann. We first heard Hofmann when her perceptive, weather-worn ode to rural living, ‘Purple Gas’, went viral back in January, with the up-and-coming artist then appearing in Zach Bryan's tastemaker Belting Bronco video series performing the wistful, sinuous track.

Noeline Hofmann laces a level of rugged specificity and storytelling depth into her music that few contemporaries can match, with her enchanting, serpentine vocals bringing her prairie odes to life. The intimacy of the solo version of ‘Purple Gas’ would be a visceral addition to any scene featuring a long, contemplative drive, while the swagger and charisma of ’One Hell of a Woman’ feels tailor-made for Beth Dutton.

Although Wyatt Flores’ burgeoning discography might not possess the dark, stormy ambience that pervades the music of Yellowstone staples such as Shane Smith & The Saints and Colter Wall, the Red Dirt trailblazer brings an emotional weight and gravitas beyond his years. The aching despair of ‘Running Out Of Time’ and ‘Holes’ would mirror the coldness and isolation that permeates scenes of the Dutton family trying to overcome the consuming grief of losing their patriarch.

The ubiquitous fiddle in Wyatt Flores’ catalogue and the quietly hopeful atmosphere the country up-and-comer so often mixes into his songs would enhance the texture of any scene, and accentuate any fleeting chinks of light attempting to filter through the gloom that has coloured much of Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2.

With a haunting, ethereal vocal style that feels strongly reminiscent of Ian Munsick - another Western-inspired artist we'd desperately love to see on Yellowstone - Christian Hayes has only released a smattering of singles and a stunning EP in his blossoming career. However, he's already positioning himself at the forefront of the next wave of artists paying homage to the evocative Appalachian landscape.

The vivid, nature-based imagery and poignant lyricism that coalesce through Christian Hayes’ music would serve as vibrant tonal aids for any beautiful Dutton Ranch scenery shots. ‘Wildflower’ and ‘Cheyenne’, in particular, would be exquisite options, with the latter capturing the eerie, foreboding feel that often underpins Yellowstone.

Charging onto the scene in October of last year with their debut single, ‘No. 7 Road’, the Georgia trio had built a loyal following through their celebrated covers of artists such as Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell. Their charismatic, simmering take on Levon Helm's ‘Hurricane’ is a match made in Heaven for the lead-up to a fiery fight scene. The track builds with anticipation, with The Castellows’ sleek, three-part harmonies adding a newfound sense of intensity to Helms’ 1980 classic.

Bearing in mind the ongoing clash between modernity and heritage that lies at the heart of Yellowstone, the nostalgic ‘Miss America’ would be another top soundtrack candidate.

Muscadine Bloodline have been around longer than any artist in this list, but even so, the Alabama duo have been enjoying a resurgence in popularity of late, thanks in no small part to their high-profile support slot on Post Malone's F-1Trillion tour and the unexpected yet immense virality of their raucous 2022 single, ‘Me On You’.

The electric-guitar-fuelled Southern Rock of ’Me On You’ would provide an energising boost to any high-octane on-screen conflict - and let's face it, when it comes to Yellowstone, it sometimes feels like every other scene involves some kind of tense dispute. We'd also be excited to hear the powerful, poignant songwriting and stripped-back feel of numerous stand-outs from their latest album, The Coastal Plain, such as ‘Two Tattered Tulips’, which would be perfect for one of the (many) flashback scenes that have been peppering Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2.

For more on Yellowstone, see below: