Josh Merritt’s new single ‘Devil’s Still Red’ has that dusty, cracked-leather energy you want from a big, cinematic country track. The thing opens like it’s rolling in slow from the edge of the desert — guitar twang stretched over wide open space, rhythm section kicking up that dry wind, and Josh’s voice front and center with this deep, worn-in grit that just grabs you.
The hook ‘Devil’s Still Red’ pulls its inspiration from the Robert Johnson legend. He uses it as a symbol for persistence — the idea that no matter how much you get beat down in a job or a life that doesn’t see you, you keep showing up, boots on, spine straight.
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The production is clean but not too polished — you still hear the edges on the guitars, the room in the drums, the little imperfections in the vocal takes that make it feel lived-in. Josh’s vocal is the weapon here. It’s got that range where he can lean into a raspy shout without losing pitch, then pull back into a low, almost conversational drawl.
‘Devil’s Still Red’ works because it’s equal parts myth and muscle — a nod to folklore wrapped in the grit of personal fight. Country this bold and self-assured doesn’t need to apologize for the drama. It thrives on it. And Merritt makes it sound damn good.
*The song was submitted via SubmitHub. The editorial decision was made independently.
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