Meet Catie Offerman, a Country Prodigy With an Easy Summer Smash

You'll need more than just one song to peel back the layers of country newcomer Catie Offerman. Her latest single, "Happyland Trailer Park," is a feel-good country bop that fits summer better than a bikini. There's more — much more — where this burst of tight songwriting and musicianship comes from, however.

The Texan grew up on a horse ranch and was raised by a pair of out-of-the-box thinkers. A new "Where It All Began" video exclusive to Taste of Country finds the talented multi-instrumentalist telling part of her story while Mom and Dad fill in details. Old photos of her with her first piano teacher or playing the Ryman Auditorium with Parker McCollum add color to her entertaining slice of storytelling.

“My dad is the kind of person that I could be lost in the middle of China and he would come and find me," Offerman says mid-way through the video, smiling.

Musically, piano was the young Berklee College of Music graduate's (at age 19) first instrument, but soon she picked up guitar and (after a series of stops and starts) violin. Per the Boot: when Lady A played "Like a Lady" at the 2021 ACM Awards, Offerman — who can play by ear and read music — joined them on fiddle.

"Accordion was because my dad had gone to Mexico for like a horse show and God knows what he was up to there," she jokes. "He brought me back this teeny, Mexican accordion. That was the starting point of my polka career." That's not just a big fish story. At age 11 Offerman traveled around with her accordion teacher's band!

"Happyland Trailer Park" was released earlier this month. It's an uptempo rocker that packages a warm and familiar "happiness is where your heart is" message with a summer road trip aesthetic. "Everybody's got a different definition of the good stuff / Heading down the highway looking for a hook up / You'll know that you found it when the dreamer in your heart's / Pulling into Happyland Trailer Park," she sings.

Offerman worked on "Happyland Trailer Park" with Joe Clemmons and Rodney Clawson. Dann Huff produced the track.

See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born

Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!

Men named Hank dominated early before stars like Freddie Hart, Ronnie Milsap, Willie Nelson Clint Black took over to close the 1980s. More recently it's been Tim Mcgraw, Rodney Atkins, Kane Brown and Morgan Wallen. Did the most-played country song from the year you were born become a favorite of yours later? All info comes from Billboard's country airplay charts.

Filed Under: Catie Offerman