Country artist Claudia Hoyser is in the driver's seat with debut album 

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If you’ve kept up with Claudia Hoyser, you’re aware of “Hoyser Country Monday,” a video series on Facebook that features her band performing cover songs of classic country tunes, some of which have garnered millions of views. Hoyser has built a large fan base online by playing covers and originals, and has supplemented that popularity with regional tours. She’s also branched out as an entrepreneur with her own brands of coffee and coffee whiskey. Her highly anticipated debut album, “Red Light’s Turning Green,” has Hoyser trusting her instincts by putting her music in the driver’s seat.

Recorded at GFI studios over a four-year span, Hoyser co-wrote more than 200 songs while creating “Red Light’s Turning Green.” The songwriting conveys a reflective, emotional side, anchored by a top-notch band and co-production work by Tony Gross. Each of the album’s 14 tracks feels like the right step in finding or shaping Hoyser’s sound.


Hoyser excels as a vocalist whose voice can carry songs to greater heights. She swoons and soothes, and that certainly complements such tunes as “Not for Sale” with its bar-raising chorus, or “Outlaw,” which channels an edgy, southwestern cinematic vibe.


The standout “Wicked” is the heartbreak tune you would love to hear on the radio. Lyrically, it suggests the pain of life that everyone goes through from time to time. Particularly more artistic than the other tracks, “Wicked” is rooted in a country-soul style and it’s the best of Hoyser’s career.

The country musician’s songs suggest that she’s on an upward trajectory. “Red Light’s Turning Green” doesn’t disappoint, and nudges her towards the dream.

Roman Divezur is a freelance writer for CITY. Feedback on this article can be directed to [email protected].