Article Contributed by Big Hassle Media
Published on February 13, 2026
The Red Clay Strays are celebrating Valentine’s Day weekend with today’s premiere of “If I Didn’t Know You,” available everywhere now via HBYCO Records/RCA Records. Written by the multiple award-winning country rockers’ Drew Nix, the tender ballad is joined by a heartwarmingly romantic official music video directed by Matthew Coleman, and co-starring avowed fans, superstar comedian Matt Rife as well as fitness influencer Mariah Morse.
“When I first discovered The Red Clay Strays, I was like, What is this? Who is this angel?” says Matt Rife. “I was just playing music over the house speakers, and ‘I’m Still Fine’ came on, and I absolutely fell in love. I went through a total rabbit hole, playing every song off every album on repeat for months and months. We finally had the opportunity to meet last year at Gulf Coast Jam in Panama City, Florida, and they’re even better guys than they are musicians.
“The music video for ‘If I Didn’t Know You’ is pretty much about a guy who feels kind of lost and alone, not really sure what he’s supposed to do with his life or who he’s going to spend it with. One lonely day, he’s on the bus and this woman – played by Mariah Morse – walks on and just seems to be the answer to everything he’s been missing. They have an immediate spark on this very short bus ride and then get off without really finalizing their interaction. So then my character kind of goes on this quest to find this woman who made him feel the way that she did, and hopes that she feels the same way. We’ve been working on this project for months, and I’m super excited for people to see the video. It’s a beautiful song, and I think everyone is really going to enjoy it.”
LISTEN TO “IF I DIDN’T KNOW YOU”
WATCH “IF I DIDN’T KNOW YOU” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
About the song, The Red Clay Strays guitarist/songwriter Drew Nix said, “One day, I was thinking about how thankful I am to have someone who made me want to, as Johnny Cash put it, ‘Walk the Line.’ I was quite the heathen before my calling, and some of those qualities stayed with me until my wife, Laurie Anne Nix – who was my fiancée at the time – made me want to become a better man. She had high expectations of what her husband should be, and I finally decided to grow up. I don’t know what my life would look like if I’d never known her, and honestly, I never want to find out.”
“If I Didn’t Know You” – which follows last October’s slow-burning hit single, “People Hatin’” – kicks off what looks to be a truly momentous year for The Red Clay Strays with such upcoming highlights as top-billed festival performances at Georgetown, TX’s Two Step Inn (April 19) and Indio, CA’s Stagecoach (April 24), as well as some of their biggest headline shows thus far, including a one-night-only performance at New York City’s world famous Madison Square Garden (August 9) and an eagerly awaited two-night stand at Nashville, TN’s Bridgestone Arena (October 22-23). In addition, the Mobile, AL-based band recently announced “The Red Clay Strays Fan Fest 2026,” the first-ever RCS fan festival set to take place at Rexford, MT’s Abayance Bay Marina on June 24-28. The five-night event will feature a headline show from The Red Clay Strays, the very special “Strays with Stories – Intimate Performances and Stories with The Red Clay Strays,” headline shows by Lukas Nelson and St. Paul & the Broken Bones, and much more. Tickets for “The Red Clay Strays Fan Fest 2026” are extremely limited; complete details can be found HERE as well as via The Red Clay Strays App. For tour updates and additional ticket information, please visit www.redclaystrays.com/tour.
THE RED CLAY STRAYS – TOUR 2026
MARCH
17 – Houston, TX – Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo
APRIL
19 – Georgetown, TX – Two Step Inn †
24 – Indio, CA – Stagecoach †
MAY
24 – Norfolk, VA – Patriotic Festival
JUNE
13 – Columbus, OH – Buckeye Country Superfest †
24-28 – Rexford, MT – “The Red Clay Strays Fan Fest 2026” at Abayance Bay Marina
JULY
17 – Twin Lakes, WI – Country Thunder Wisconsin †
19 – Cheyenne, WY – Cheyenne Frontier Days
AUGUST
9 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden *
OCTOBER
22 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena **
23 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena **
† FESTIVAL APPEARANCE
* w/ Special Guests The Revivalists and Brent Cobb
** w/ Special Guests Sierra Ferrell and Brent Cobb
