Frank Foster finds country success his way

May 13, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

For North Louisiana native Frank Foster, all ends of the musical spectrum begin with Lynyrd Skynyrd and end with Hank Williams Jr.

The rising independent singer will be the first one to tell you his influences may be cliched, but he doesn’t care what you think. In fact, his defiance to Music City convention mirrors another artist who has risen to the top in recent years.

“As a country music fan or a rock ’n’ roll fan, if I’m in my truck I’m listening to late ’70s and early ’80s stuff with Skynyrd and Hank Jr.,” said Foster, calling from his Nashville home. “I know that’s cliche, but that’s honestly the truth of what I try to bring to the table.

“So I’m a modern-day country singer that tries to blend a lot of things and still has a real sound — if that makes sense. Eric Church is the guy I point to. That guy has bridged the gap between that old-outlaw feel but he’s brought it into a new fold and he’s made it his own.”

For the past five years, Foster has been slowly rising through the ranks. His efforts culminated with his 2014 album “Rhythm and Whiskey,” which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard country music charts.

This was quite an accomplishment for an independent artist lacking the major label promotion budget and exposure. If anything, Foster said the recent success emboldened his passion, proving an artist doesn’t need radio airplay or videos on CMT and GAC to make inroads in the cutthroat country music scene.

More so, Foster is admittedly a simple man who loves touring as much as he does fishing, hunting and going to Walmart without being hounded by the press.

“I grew up really simple and plain, so I’m so excited at how my career is progressing,” Foster said. “It’s been baby steps but those steps have turned into a great living for me. I have a great tour every year. We’re to a point in a lot of states where we just get noticed enough. Now we’re kind of on that mid-level circuit looking to play outside of the South and break new ground.”

That’s why Foster is about to make his Youngstown-area debut with a Saturday show at the Dusty Armadillo. As for “Rhythm and Whiskey,” the singer-guitarist said his fourth studio CD shows a maturation that is directly tied to solidifying his backing band lineup. The 11-track album is divided between rockers and old school country tunes.

“When the album first comes on, ‘Flying Down the Highway’ is a barn burner,” Foster said. “That’s a song we do early in the set where we come out blazing. And then on the slower side, ‘Good Ol’ Girl’ is a really good country song. That song goes over well live.”