ABOUT:
Koen Vael is a country artist based in a small town in the south of the Netherlands. At the age of 4 he got inspired to play music on multiple instruments, by artists such as The Eagles, Willie Nelson and George Strait. Because of the significant role music played throughout his life, he applied to Rock City Institute in 2020 and successfully graduated three years later.
During Fall in 2024 Koen Vael appeared on a TV show called “Holland's Got Talent” and made it to the semi-finals. Koen pursues his purpose of breathing new life into authentic country music. While walking the fine line between classic and modern country, Koen Vael delivers raw emotion, heartfelt lyrics and tradition throughout his songs. As a Dutch artist, Koen bridges the gap between American and European country fans, fueling the genre's rising popularity across both continents. With his debut single “Hate Me” his journey begins, pursuing a successful music career and chasing the American Dream with Nashville as his main goal.
DEBUT SINGLE
"HATE ME" is the debut single from Dutch country artist Koen Vael, following his success on Holland's Got Talent. Blending modern country music with a classic twist, the song draws inspiration from artists such as Cody Johnson and Luke Combs. It tells the story of a loved one battling depression, where tough love is the only way to help her rise again. With heartfelt lyrics, soaring pedal steel, twangy guitars and rich harmonies the catchy track resonates with raw emotion and resilience.
LATEST RELEASE
You get in the car, leaving your toxic (ex-)partner behind after everything they put you through, and you drive off.
Afraid of the loneliness and uncertain about what the future might bring, you cover mile after mile.
But you never hit rock bottom - in fact, it turns out you’re better off this way.
Slowly, it becomes clear that you made the right choice.
Every mile you drive brings you closer to happiness - you were done with it.
That’s what Good As Gone is really about.
The song, as it is now, came together after a rewrite with Marcel Fisser and Maurice Van Hoek.
The inspiration came from an Italian newspaper article about a man who decided to walk 350 kilometers to cool off after an arguement with his wife.
We built on that story, and the uptempo instrumental quickly gave us the idea to take it in a slightly different direction - not coming back at all.
