Why&How Partners With Audio Up & Audio Chateau Records To Manage Uncle Drank [Exclusive]

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Why&How has partnered with Audio Up and Audio Chateau Records to manage Uncle Drank, the fictional brainchild of Audio Up Founder & CEO Jared Gutstadt and voiced by Will Sasso.

Uncle Drank was first created by Gutstadt in 2022 with The Ballad of Uncle Drank podcast, starring Sasso, which eventually reaching No. 1 on the Apple Podcast music charts. The podcast featured cameos from Luke Wilson, Chelcie Lynn, Brian Kelley and Uncle Kracker, with Billy Zane as a talking blender and songwriter/musician Kinky Friedman as Uncle Drank’s fictional manager, Hayseed Schwartz.

In his world, Uncle Drank is the originator of  “Gulf & Western Music.” With easy-going tunes like “Third Wife’s A Charm” and “Biggest Dock on the Lake,” he is described as “one part Kenny Chesney, one part Kenny Powers,” and takes listeners on an adventure through a different era of time.

“This project combines my lifelong passions of music and storytelling. I’ve been fortunate enough to work in country music with some of the all-time legends, from Kris Kristofferson, Miranda Lambert, Jelly Roll, Brad Paisley, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bob Dylan to name a few. What all of these names have in common is their unique ability to reach an audience through their stories and authentic personalities, this is exactly what I intend to do with the music of Uncle Drank,” shares Gutstadt. “The music of Drank is meant to immediately take you to a beach with a beer in your hand and bring you two and a half minutes of sunshine one song at a time. With Uncle Drank, we aim to create an endless summer.”

“I love working with all the weirdos Jared brings together,” adds Sasso. “Writing and recording this music has been a gas, and we’re quite psyched to bring Uncle Drank to ‘reality.'”

“Uncle Drank isn’t just an unforgettable character, he is an icon in the making. We are thrilled to partner with Jared, Will and the entire Audio Up team to take Drank to the next level and introduce this singular talent to a new fanbase. We have some fun tricks up our sleeves for Drank—this is going to be fun,” says Bruce Kalmick, Founder & CEO, Why&How.

Uncle Drank plans to release his debut album, Eternal Sunshine of the Tropical Mind, via Audio Chateau Records/Virgin Records in June 2024. A tour is set to follow.

Liza Anderson
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