When WATERLOO REVIVAL’s Cody Cooper met his bandmate George Birge in middle school, he inspired his new friend to express himself through music — a path that drastically affected both their lives. "By seventh grade I was hooked and Cody and I were writing songs together,” George admits.
The duo continued to play together through high school, but parted ways so the guys could pursue an education. Cody headed to the University of North Texas in Denton, while George stayed in their hometown of Austin to attend the University of Texas. The pair would play together during Cody's visits back home all through college. By 2012, their musical chemistry was undeniable and George made the hard sell, convincing Cody to return home in order for them to focus all their energy into music. WATERLOO REVIVAL was soon born, taking its moniker from their beloved hometown.
"Before it was Austin, our hometown was called Waterloo," Cody explains. "Eventually, it was renamed to honor the 'Father of Texas' Stephen F. Austin."
"We were so heavily influenced by the Austin music scene growing up," George adds, "we decided on the name Waterloo Revival in order to bring Austin music heritage to the rest of the world."
"We played one show in Austin and had 200 friends show up," George explains. "Fans were really supportive. We thought, 'Okay, it seems like this is something people are really going to get behind.' We started a campaign and were able to fund the entire project from fan contributions."
Continuing that momentum, WATERLOO REVIVAL channeled their entrepreneurial musicianship into more writing sessions, commuting to Nashville over the next year to hone their craft and acquaint themselves with Music City. Through a chance connection, George arranged a meeting with Toby Keith's manager, TK Kimbrell, who promptly signed the boys to TKO Artist Management.
In June of 2016 WATERLOO REVIVAL signed to Toby Keith’s record label, Show Dog Nashville, and joined him on the “Toby Keith Interstates & Tailgates Tour sponsored by Ford F-Series” where they continued to push their music out to the world, developing a dedicated fan base along the way. They have continued touring and supporting their single, “What Guy Wouldn’t.” With more than 26 million streams of the song to date, WATERLOO REVIVAL continues their forward momentum with the release of new songs on the horizon.