Chase Bryant

But he killed.

And John Huie, who runs CAA’s Nashville office, couldn’t have looked more excited.

“He’s just so great live,” Huie said. “I remember the first time I saw him I said, ‘Holy cow! Who’s been keeping this guy hidden from me?’  There’s so many things to go to [in Nashville] that sometimes, when you get an act that doesn’t have a record out and it’s in the early stages, you may not get there with the very first performance. 

“I was so passionate when I saw him do four songs. I thought, “Oh my God, this guy’s friggin’ the next Keith Urban! Let’s go!”

Bryant, signed to CAA, is represented by the company’s Jeff Gregg. His single “Take It On Back” hit the Top 25 at county radio in six weeks, is currently in the Top 20, and Rolling Stone said Bryant was one of the “best things we saw” at the recent CMA Music Festival.

Bryant’s profile will rise in 2015, with Huie, choosing his words carefully, saying there are “multiple major tour offers for this future superstar.”

Bryant grew up in Orange Grove, Texas, with a population of 1,200. His grandfather played piano for Roy Orbison and Waylon Jennings, and his uncles co-founded the band Ricochet. Bryant has had plenty of help honing his skills.

“It’s great when [the talent] already appears to be refined. Not only his composure onstage and ability to play but his ability to communicate supersedes his age. He’s way more mature than his physical years.”