UPDATE: FREE AGENTS ADVANCE TO FINALS

UPDATE: Last week, as we reported, hot free agents Dasha, Good Neighbours, the Red Clay Strays and Tucker Wetmore were close to picking the winners of their respective signing derbies. Dasha chose to sign with Warner—pictured above celebrating the deal are manager Alex Lunt, Warner co-Chairman/COO Tom Corson, Dasha and Warner co-Chairman/CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck. Her track “Austin” is #1 Viral at TikTok and charting in the Top 50 globally on Spotify.

Of the remaining indie acts we focused on, we can confirm that Good Neighbours and the Red Clay Strays have each inked a deal with a major; both pacts will be announced in the near future. Team Wetmore, who currently releases music via Stem and has a new cut dropping 3/29, is still taking meetings and determining its next move.

POSTED 3/21: The buzz is heating up on four of the most sought-after free agents in the market. Indie streaming sensations Dasha, the Red Clay Strays, Good Neighbours and Tucker Wetmore are expected to lock down deals in the very near future, with some being announced as early as next week. While some of the aforementioned acts are late-breaking and some have been developing slow and steady, there’s one thing they all have in common: A&Rs have been foaming at the mouth to close.

The market for these four is rumored to be very competitive, with many major players in the mix at the finish line. Country-pop singer-songwriter Dasha is the most recent viral act to pop up on Spotify’s global Top 50. Her single “Austin” hit a new peak of #25 on the Spot’s U.S. chart yesterday.

Roots group the Red Clay Strays has already generated a loyal fan base on the road. Many, including acclaimed producer Dave Cobb, see the Strays as one of the most promising new acts to come out of the Red Dirt scene. Their breakout cut, “Wondering Why,” has been on Spotify's U.S. Top 200 for 100+ days.

With their debut single, “Home,” U.K. duo Good Neighbours has also taken DSPs and TikTok by storm. They've consistently delivered fresh content for fans on the socials and are now teasing their second release. “Home,” meanwhile, is quickly approaching 100m streams on the Spot.

Viral singer Tucker Wetmore is the latest new country act to pop up on Apple Music’s Top 200—a space typically reserved for songs by Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan and Luke Combs. Wetmore’s “Wine Into Whiskey” is currently #155 on Apple Music U.S.

Who will close these acts and how soon? Blink and you might miss it.