Bay Simpson arrives as a solo artist with real credentials behind him. The Muscle Shoals singer-songwriter, fresh off a chair turn from Adam Levine on NBC’s The Voice Season 29, has released “Too Good to Be True,” a nostalgic rock single that draws directly from the experience of growing up in the early 2010s and only understanding those years once they’re gone. It’s out now.
The song carries serious songwriting weight. Simpson co-wrote it with Brian Maher, whose credits include Justin Moore chart-toppers, and James LeBlanc, whose pen has touched Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, and Martina McBride. The result is a track built for people who didn’t appreciate what they had until the chapter closed. “I didn’t enjoy high school when I was in it,” Simpson says, “but when I look back now, I miss it.”
Levine’s reaction during the blind audition said plenty. “It’s in your bones,” he told Simpson. “The tone and the way you delivered the vocals really showed me an understanding of rock ‘n’ roll music. This dude is going to be different than anybody on the show.” That kind of endorsement from a rock credibility benchmark doesn’t come easily.
Simpson’s backstory adds another layer. At 20, he landed his first major cut when Kid Rock recorded his song “Never Enough.” He’s shared stages with Dwight Yoakam and Jamey Johnson fronting his country-rock band Outlaw Apostles. Now stepping out solo, he’s bringing the full weight of Muscle Shoals with him.