From self-booked arena shows to building technology that could reshape the future for independent artists, Cody Pennington is proving there’s more than one way to build a country music career.
There are plenty of independent country artists who talk about doing things differently. Then there’s Cody Pennington.
The American singer-songwriter has built his career without waiting for Nashville to hand him permission. He books his own tours, spends much of the year on the road, has developed a loyal following across Europe, and now he’s working on something that could give fellow independent artists more control over their own futures.
Speaking backstage after his appearance at Country on the Common, Pennington is relaxed, thoughtful and quietly ambitious. His answers reveal someone whose greatest thrill still comes from stepping onto a stage rather than chasing chart positions, and whose latest project extends far beyond writing another album.
For Pennington, music has always been about the connection between artist and audience.
“Every decision I make in music… it’s to get on stage. That’s it. It’s not to be signed by the biggest record label. It’s just to perform.”
That philosophy runs through everything he does.
A Second Home Across the Atlantic
For many American artists, touring the UK and Europe is an exciting novelty. For Pennington, it’s becoming something much deeper.
“I love the UK just in general,” he says. “It’s like a second home for me.”
It’s a relationship that’s been built over repeated visits rather than one-off appearances. While American crowds may be a little louder and more unpredictable, Pennington believes British and European audiences offer something equally valuable.
“They’re very attentive,” he explains. “They also love country music… you can play almost anything for them and they just appreciate it.”
He laughs when asked to compare audiences around the world.
“There are rowdy people everywhere,” he says. “Probably the best crowds I’ve played are Irish and Australian because they’re so immersed in it… but everybody’s great.”
That appreciation has helped transform the UK into one of his strongest international markets, with increasingly ambitious headline shows continuing to appear on his calendar.
🎸 Cody Pennington
“I hope people leave our shows just smiling ear to ear. That means we’ve held their attention and they’ve enjoyed it.”
Living for the Stage
Spend five minutes watching Cody Pennington perform and one thing becomes immediately obvious: he genuinely loves being there.
The stage isn’t simply part of the job.
It’s the reason for the job.
While many artists measure success through record deals or streaming numbers, Pennington measures it by the chance to perform.
That commitment extends to every member of his band.
“I tell my band we should always give 110%,” he says. “If we give 100%, from the crowd’s perspective it looks like we’re giving 85%. You’re on stage — you need to be giving everything.”
There’s careful planning behind each show, but there’s also room for spontaneity. If Pennington feels the moment is right, he’ll throw an unexpected cover song into the set without warning.
“The band just has to deal with it,” he laughs.
“It’s about vibing off the crowd.”
That willingness to trust the audience is part of what gives his performances their energy. Even festival appearances, where artists often play shortened sets under tight schedules, receive exactly the same commitment.
“We still want people to feel like they’re getting the full experience,” he says. “Nobody should feel like they’ve paid for a festival and not got everything we’ve got.”
When Things Go Wrong…
Every touring musician has horror stories.
Pennington certainly does.
“We’ve had some pretty intense fights break out,” he recalls with a smile.
Shows have been stopped, unexpected incidents have unfolded and, in true touring fashion, disasters have eventually become great stories.
One particularly chaotic show even ended up increasing his popularity with those who witnessed it.
“It actually worked out better in the end,” he laughs.
It’s the sort of perspective that only comes from years of life on the road.
📦 Songs Winning Over Fans
Current live favourites
- Downtown – consistently earns one of the biggest reactions during concerts.
- Feed the Dogs – written for his son and never intended as a major single, yet becoming one of his strongest streaming tracks.
“People seem to really gravitate towards it,” Pennington says of Feed the Dogs, admitting its popularity has surprised him.
More Than Just Another Album
Perhaps the biggest surprise during our conversation isn’t about touring at all.
Asked about new music, Pennington reveals he’s deliberately slowing down his songwriting.
Unlike the relentless release schedules common in Nashville, he isn’t interested in putting music out simply to satisfy algorithms.
“I don’t like churning it out,” he says.
“I don’t really want to consistently release because it feels like it cheapens the art. I want to make sure I’d concentrated it all.”
Instead, much of his creative energy is focused elsewhere.
Building the Future for Independent Artists
The project keeping Pennington busy is FoundTix, a new platform designed to give artists and promoters greater control over their businesses.
Rather than simply another ticketing website, FoundTix combines free white-label ticketing sites with automated Meta marketing tools, helping independent promoters sell tickets while keeping ownership of their audience and brand.
The idea reflects Pennington’s own career philosophy.
He’s spent years building his touring business independently, and now wants to make that process easier for others.
“I think a lot of artists don’t have as much control as they need… I’m hoping what I’m building can help them do that.”
He sees it as a response to an increasingly difficult music industry.
“We want to keep live music the last bastion of artistic integrity,” he says.
For Pennington, FoundTix isn’t separate from his music career.
It’s another way of supporting the independent community that helped build it.
📦 What is FoundTix?
FoundTix is Cody Pennington’s new ticketing and marketing platform for independent live events.
It provides:
- Free white-label ticketing websites for promoters
- Automated Meta advertising tools
- Greater ownership of customer data
- A platform designed to help artists and promoters grow without relying on traditional industry gatekeepers. Costs are recovered as a percentage of tickets sold.
Learn more at www.foundtix.com.
The Touring Life
Despite spending much of the year travelling, Pennington still makes time for memorable moments.
Recently, while touring Australia, he climbed Adelaide Oval for his drummer’s birthday.
There was just one problem.
“I hate heights,” he admits. “I was scared the entire time.”
Touring, he says, isn’t a permanent holiday.
“You’re not always on vacation. You’ve got to be working.”
That work ethic explains how an independent artist has reached the point of headlining arenas.
Later this year he’ll play Cardiff’s Utilita Arena before another arena appearance in Norwich — milestones he views with understandable pride.
“As an independent artist, I was able to do this myself.”
Interestingly, Pennington has no desire for endless escalation.
Once the arena dream has been achieved, he’d rather return to playing more shows in smaller venues than spend years chasing stadium status.
“You can learn when enough is enough,” he says.
“I’ll stick to normal venues and we’ll continue having a good time.”
It’s a refreshingly grounded ambition.
A Name Worth Remembering
Towards the end of our conversation, Pennington is asked what he hopes first-time audience members take away from one of his concerts.
His answer begins with a laugh.
“I hope they remember my name so they can Google me later.”
Then he becomes more reflective.
In an age of phones held aloft and attention spans measured in seconds, he simply wants people to leave smiling.
For someone who has built his career around live performance rather than industry expectations, that’s perhaps the greatest measure of success.
If audiences leave with memories, stories and songs they want to hear again, Cody Pennington has achieved exactly what he set out to do.
And judging by the growing crowds greeting him on both sides of the Atlantic, plenty of people are remembering his name.
With thanks to DC Brown for main photographs.
