Warren Zeiders

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden sits down with Warren Zeiders.

Growing up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Warren spent his teenage years chasing a lacrosse career rather than a musical one, picking up guitar only as a casual hobby along the way. A string of sports-related injuries ended that path in 2019, and COVID hit the following year. At his sister's suggestion, Warren posted a cover of Chris Stapleton's 'Tennessee Whiskey' to TikTok — and woke up to hundreds of thousands of views. That moment launched a rapid rise: his original song "Ride the Lightning" went platinum, and by 2023 his single "Pretty Little Poison" became his first country radio No. 1, going on to double-platinum certification. Since then, he's built a fanbase behind billions of streams, headlined his first world tour, and earned a CMT Award for Breakthrough Male Video of the Year.

Now 27 and fresh off the release of his third studio album, No Brakes, Warren sits down with Joel to talk about the pressure of following up his biggest year yet, learning to separate his self-worth from streaming numbers and radio spins, and why he believes this new chapter of music is the most honest representation of who he really is.

(0:00) – Warren Zeiders: The Origin Story
(4:13) – How Covers Led to a Record Deal
(10:14) – CMT Award: Voted by the Fans
(18:04) – No Breaks: Warren's Most Personal Record
(24:27) – A Deeply Personal Act of Faith
(28:54) – Turning Hate Into Algorithm Fuel
(38:07) – Growing Up on Rock and Country
(43:23) – From Lacrosse Player to League Investor
(45:51) – The '67 Mustang

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