Restless Road placed 4th on The X Factor. Then Kane Brown offered a fresh start

Simon Cowell formed a trio from solo hopefuls

Before Restless Road had a name, Zach Beeken from Pennsylvania and Colton Pack from West Virginia were solo hopefuls on The X Factor in 2013. Simon Cowell brought them together with Andrew Scholz and mentored the group. They sang “Somebody Like You” in the four-chair challenge and “Roar” on the first live show, October 29. Cowell called the latter a “tricky song choice” and kept them in his group. Restless Road finished fourth that season. They had also met another singer at the auditions: Kane Brown, who would become part of their career years after the competition.

An early deal kept their music on hold

The group’s membership changed during the years after television. Jared Keim replaced Pack in February 2014, and Garrett Nichols replaced Scholz in May 2015. A company signed the band in 2016; none of the music written under that deal reached listeners. In a 2024 interview with Rushonrock, Restless Road described restrictive agreements and a low point in 2018. “It almost blew up the whole band,” they said. They described getting free of those agreements and taking jobs in bars and restaurants. Beeken and Nichols worked as bartenders in Nashville, while Pack worked in construction and released music in West Virginia.

A cover video brought Kane Brown back

The opening came through a cover of Brown’s “Good As You.” Brown saw the video and contacted Pack about working together. Restless Road signed with Brown in 2019, and the trio went into the studio with producer Dann Huff that November. By February 2020, Beeken, Nichols and Pack had a four-song debut EP bearing the band’s name. It included “Take Me Home,” their collaboration with Brown that drew on John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” On February 25, they celebrated the EP with an invitation-only performance at Nashville’s WME headquarters. The friend from their audition days had become their recording partner.

The pandemic sent them to phone screens

Their planned 2020 arena dates with Brown were canceled when the pandemic began. The new EP had arrived just before touring stopped, and the band began making phone-screen content to reach fans. TikTok became part of that effort to build an audience during the shutdown. By June 2021, they had another song to share: “Bar Friends,” released June 11. Brown had played them the track, written by Jordan Schmidt, Kyle Clark, Tyler Filmore and Geoff Warburton. Restless Road made room for songs from other writers. Their rule, as they explained to American Songwriter, was “the best song wins.”

“Growing Old With You” put them on The Bachelor

Another television appearance followed in 2022, when Restless Road performed “Growing Old With You” on The Bachelor for Clayton Echard and his date. The band had wanted to play the show for years. Beeken recalled the tension of waiting silently for sliding doors to open so the music could begin. There was a meal after the performance, too: Pack said the band ate the barbecue left from the date. The song was written by Jordan Reynolds, Jordan Minton and Charles Kelley. Restless Road hoped viewers would choose it for wedding first dances; it became a No. 1 song on SiriusXM’s The Highway.

Last Rodeo arrived ten years after The X Factor

RCA Nashville released their debut album, Last Rodeo, on October 20, 2023. Its 18 tracks included “Growing Old With You” and “Bar Friends,” alongside songs that drew on the members’ own experiences. The band had considered calling the album On My Way before writing “Last Rodeo” that April. They put “Last Rodeo” first and “On My Way” last to frame the journey through the record. Beeken described the album’s subject as perseverance and continuing toward a dream. The year had already taken them to Europe and the UK with Brown, to their first Stagecoach appearance and to CMA Fest.

Independent releases followed in 2025

By March 28, 2025, Restless Road were talking with Matt Burrill on Outside The Round about working as independent artists. New songs continued to arrive. On April 25, they released “Last Thing I Deserve,” written with Trannie Anderson and Lindsay Rimes as a tribute to their partners. The band said those relationships had helped them through the changes in their lives. It was their third release of the year, following the March song “Goin’ Out Like That,” co-written with Zach Abend and Jon Nite. They were midway through their headline tour and had received a second consecutive ACM nomination for New Duo or Group of the Year.

“The Climb” matched their message in 2026

Restless Road released their version of “The Climb” on April 3, 2026, as part of Main Street Country, a five-song EP of country versions of Disney songs. The song had appeared in Hannah Montana: The Movie. For the trio, its message matched the years they had spent trying to keep the band moving. Nichols linked it to their own “On My Way” and explained their band catchphrase to iHeartCountry: “keep your eyes on the road.” Beeken said they chose the song for its message. Its arrival close to the Hannah Montana anniversary special was a coincidence they had discovered during the project.

A new label released “Forever A Go” in July 2026

By July 2026, Restless Road had signed with EMPIRE Nashville. The announcement put their career streams above 375 million, with promotion for “Forever A Go” drawing more than 10 million views and 250,000 likes before release. Their stage history included opening for Tim McGraw, Brett Young, Russell Dickerson and Cole Swindell, alongside their work with Brown. “Forever A Go” arrived on July 10, 2026, under Buttermilk, LLC / EMPIRE. The three-minute single gave Beeken, Nichols and Pack a release with their new label partner.

• Restless Road: career and music
• Listen to Restless Road on Apple Music
• Listen to “Forever A Go” on Apple Music