OurStage Snapshot: Bryan Ragsdale

Bryan Ragsdale is a classic crooner with a modern twist: He tours in a Prius, driving up to 1500 miles a week in the fuel-efficient vehicle. "I wear Wranglers, a hat, western shirts and yes, I drive a Hybrid that gets 50 miles per gallon," Bryan says. "Folks often joke and laugh about it -- a cowboy in a little car packed full of equipment, how funny is that? Not so funny, actually, if you look at gas prices, the current state of oil, our environment and our economy."

The Wyoming native, who loves the outdoors and is raising three children, brings his chosen lifestyle and ideals to his music with his latest album, 'Where Cowpokes Grow.'

'Modern Day Mountain Man,' the first single from the record, has already been sent to Americana, country and college radio across the U.S. After a short mainstream country songwriting stint in Nashville, the singer finds himself back out West with his family, playing about 200 live shows a year.

"One of the reasons 'Where Cowpokes Grow' is so focused thematically on the West is that I noticed that none of the music coming out of Tennessee these days is from a Rocky Mountain perspective. So much of the songs are about rednecks, being drunk, having sex, acting stupid," Bryan says. "They wanted me to sing songs that promote bad behavior and I just couldn't do that. I have young kids and a grandmother, and my feeling is, if I would be ashamed to have them listen to it, then I don't want to do it."

While 'Modern Day Mountain Man' is heating up the charts over at OurStage, the singer-songwriter is currently preparing to kick off a fall tour in Wyoming.