Bailey Zimmerman is the newest addition to Apple Music's Up Next program, the monthly artist initiative geared towards identifying, showcasing and elevating rising talent. In his exclusive Apple Music short film, which was released yesterday (Wednesday, January 11th), Bailey takes fans to some of his favorite spots in Nashville, and shares a window into his world of writing and producing music.
He told Apple Music’s Kelleigh Bannen, “Music was my avenue to not freak out every single day. I could just write music and write music. And when you're sad, you write music. When you're happy, you write music. And it's more about the fact that we've gotten these people to love the songs we write. That's what it's about – the love of country music. I am here and so are these people.”
The Louisville, Illinois native went from spending long hours at the family car dealership and late nights of roadwork on the gas pipeline to a major label record deal and back-to-back Platinum hits in just under two years. Bailey's Leave the Light On EP, which was released in October, “smashed the record for the biggest country debut EP of all time by first-day streams on Apple Music worldwide,” according to a release.
Apple Music subscribers can listen to a newly expanded edition of Leave the Light On that includes three tracks reimagined for Apple Music Sessions.