Born in the little town of New Oxford, Pennsylvania, Austin Rife was raised on country music and storytelling. After the passing of his grandfather, Jim Rife, in 2004, Austin picked up his elder’s guitar and learned to play. Though the two never shared a song together, his grandfather passed down not only a love of music, but the gift of songwriting, something Austin carries with him on stage every night.
Rife released his first fully original record while attending Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Living in the Blue Ridge Mountains expanded his sound, blending traditional country with bluegrass, folk, and non-traditional influences that still shape his songwriting today. Though firmly rooted in modern country, Rife’s music reflects those hybrid Appalachian roots.
In early 2020, Rife signed a deal with OmniSound Studios in Nashville to independently release his five-song EP Gasoline. The project takes listeners on a roller coaster delivering rowdy anthems like “The Makers” and “Mason Jar,” injecting humor into heartbreak with “Leave My Dog,” and offering heartfelt, roots-driven emotion on tracks like “Small Towns Are Home” and “Starting a Fire.”
In 2022, Rife returned to Nashville to record “Nights I Live For,” a beachy heartbreak duet featuring the fiery yet angelic voice of Kaitlyn Yinger. The coastal anthem resonated with fans, earning more than 23,000 streams.
In 2023, Rife released his most personal single to date, “My Last Name.” Written as a proposal to his now-wife Madison, the song was released on February 11, 2023, the couple’s wedding day, and accompanied by Rife’s first music video, a touching tribute to their special day. The song showcases a new chapter in Rife’s life, balancing self-deprecating honesty in the “I ain’t perfect” chorus with an emotional bridge that captures the vulnerability of commitment. “My Last Name” marked Rife’s evolution from a rowdy college kid into something he’d never been before—a husband.
Since the release of “My Last Name,” Rife has continued to share deeply personal music with his audience. He released “Passenger Princess,” a heartfelt and humorous modern country tribute to his wife Madison who, by her own admission, doesn’t like to drive as well as “Get Us Out,” an intertwined expression of faith and a salute to service honoring veterans.
Both singles have surpassed 30,000 plays on Spotify, further cementing Rife’s connection with listeners who value authenticity and storytelling.
When asked about his songwriting process, Rife explains, “A lot of my songs are co-written by other people, whether they know it or not. I’m always listening and keeping notes in my phone. When I hear someone say something unique or catchy, I try to build a song around it. I love the fact that country music is made up of these living, breathing stories about real life. I’m just adding a few chords and a hook to it.”