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‘5 to 9’ Country Hitmaker Hudson Westbrook Talks His Whirlwind Year & Lone Star State Roots: ‘I’m Always Going to Stay Loyal to Texas’

Hudson Westbrook, our December Country Rookie of the Month, talks to Billboard about his debut EP and influences.

Less than 12 months ago, Hudson Westbrook was attending school and making a living breaking cattle in his native Texas, with plans to join his family working in the oil and gas industry. Instead, he’s released a self-titled debut EP, has a slate of hit streaming songs to his credit — including “5 to 9” and “House Again” — and has swiftly added his name t o a growing crop of new artists forging their music on traditional country sounds and timeless songwriting. Westbrook, Billboard ’s Country Rookie of the Month for December, opened up about his career journey, songwriting, and his favorite music.

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