Carson Peters changes his school plans because of new momentum in his career

ELIZABETHTON — Carson Peters graduated from Elizabethton High School a week ago, but he has decided to place the rest of his academic plans on hold for a while.It is not that Peters doesn't enjoy education and was looking forward to going to college and establishing new networks for his already successful career in music.The reason for his change of plans is that there is a lot of unexpected momentum in that career right now."I have put my college decision on hold, because of the momentum," Peters said. Some of that momentum may have had an impact on this interview. Just a week after high school graduation, Peters took time after a long road trip this Memorial Day weekend. The trip wasn't the traditional graduation trip to the beach. It was a business trip. He and his band, Iron Mountain, had driven their bus to Branson, Mo. for a performance. Recovering from the long trip was a good time for an interview.Peters said his calendar for the summer was booked. That includes a performance in Elizabethton for the Covered Bridge Days Kickoff in September. "Its an exciting time. We are staying pretty busy," Peters said.For years Peters has been a popular attraction on the bluegrass circuit, but now he has found new momentum with country music. He said this is a result of his appearance as a contestant on The Voice. Not only has the program made him more well known and introduced another dimension of Peter's musical ability, it has even led to a reunion with fellow contestant Clint Sherman on an upcoming release of an original song, "Happy to drive."Peters said Sherman wanted to help with the bridge and harmonies. He also wanted some of Peters' fiddle playing on the song. "I jumped on it," Peters said.Peters said the song will be released this Friday. The pre save link is: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/clintshermanandcarsonpeters/happy-to-drive.This co-release by Sherman and Peters comes after they were battle partners on Blake Shelton's most recent NBC's The Voice team. Their rendition of a Vince Gill classic on the show was one of Ariana Grande's "favorite performances," earning the pair high praises from Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, and John Legend and a standing ovation from Grande. The press release about the new single said "Reuniting in "Happy to Drive," the rising country singers share a story of romantic, hopeful naivete. Texas songwriter Clint Sherman's storytelling, steeped in traditions set by Willie Nelson and Marty Robbins, complements prodigy fiddle player Carson Peters' Tennessee bluegrass roots. "Happy to Drive" is an anthem for young love, cruising with the windows down, holding your sweetheart's hand, and "blasting out [your] radio!" Sherman's lyrics offer clever Turnpike Troubadours and Creedence Clearwater Revival references, evoking a feel-good nostalgia reminiscent of 2010 Josh Abbott Band hits "Oh, Tonight" and "She's Like Texas." "Happy to Drive" features other premier Texas talent: Milo Deering, the legendary steel guitar player who toured with the Eagles and LeAnn Rimes, Jerry Matheny, long time lead guitar player for LeAnn Rimes, and Ashley Howell, the background vocalist on William Clark Green's early studio albums."Shortly after the release, Sherman and Peters will hit the road for the "Happy to Drive" Road Show, touring throughout Tennessee with stops at Shelton's Gatlinburg and Nashville venues before venturing to Texas later this year." Peters is quick to say that his new work in the country music genre does not mean he is neglecting his bluegrass roots. He remains faithful to the music he grew up listening to and performing. He added that the country music he performs is aligned with the long traditions of country music and not with the recent "hip hop" style of recent country music trends.Peters has another reason for responding to the recent momentum he is feeling. He understands what it is like to not be able to perform. He learned that hard lesson during the COVID-19 pandemic when he went from 65 to 70 performances a year to just six shows in 2020. "It was crazy the way it dropped off," Peters said.It was that enforced down time and the boredom it generated that led Peters to decide to audition for The Voice."I was bored and just killing time when I came across this little ad on Instagram for the next session coming in the summer. In normal times, there is no way I could devote all the time to the show because I am on the road so much, but with Covid, I thought I would give it a try."So Peters tried out and the result has been a new momentum he never expected, thanks to his enforced downtime brought about by Covid."God works in weird ways sometimes, you just have to trust," Peters said.