Remember the name: Niklas Juritsch.

The 21-year-old country singer-songwriter has just signed a label deal with Range Music, which manages chart-topping artists like Shaboozey, Midland and Dylan Gossett, all while making plans for a move to Nashville to continue honing his craft.

In a country music landscape that is often criticised for being too narrow-minded sonically, it's refreshing to hear an artist like Juritsch who is drawing on his influences from the alt-country and folk space, while giving it his own contemporary spin.

Juritsch currently stands at a nearly 12K Instagram following, where the artist spends time posting covers from artists such as Tyler Childers and Jamey Johnson, as well as snippets of originals from the Austria native himself. The artist has also grown an enticed fanbase with an accumulated eight million streams from singles such as 'Born For Leaving,' 'In Love Right Now,' 'Summertime,' and 'Like A Home,' where authentic storytelling and acoustic sounds take center stage - making the songs feel familiar to hits by artists such as Zach Bryan and Sam Barber.

While his sound is undoubtedly resonating, it's the authenticity and sincerity behind Juritsch's music that is clearly setting him apart. The 'Down The Drain' crooner is an out-of-towner that is seeking to keep honesty in music alive, and in bringing this spirit to Nashville, it feels as though Juritsch is part of a much bigger movement.

In a modern age, where many up-and-comers are getting that head start completely through viral status alone, there is something refreshing about the path Juritsch is taking.

In a word full of artists out for the golden ticket of country music fame individually, Juritsch is an invigorating reminder that collaboration early-on is not only beneficial, but necessary.

With a nearly 100K Spotify following, Juritsch has been able to cultivate a loyal fanbase, as well as providing a springboard from which he could work with Nashville songwriters and producers. His newly unveiled signing to Range Music will only accentuate this - as well as growing momentum through his online presence, it feels like a forthcoming EP release might be well within the next steps for Juritsch.

While Range Music manages major country music successes such as Shaboozey, Juritsch is the first artist the label has ever signed internationally, where both the label and up-and-comer believe success is on the horizon by working together to continue his work in Nashville.

"Nashville has always felt like home creatively. Moving there to write, record, and immerse myself in the songwriting community is something I've worked toward for years. I'm incredibly grateful to have found a team that believes in my music and my long-term vision. I can't wait to share this next chapter with listeners around the world," said Juritsch in a recent press release from the artist's Deep Cuts Management company.

Offline, Juritsch has also stepped into the country world by building standing in both European and American markets, playing at events such as the UK's Lil Nashville and American SpeedFest, along with Sweden's Buckle Up Country Fest, as well as making multiple appearances at Nashville's Whiskey Jam at Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row.

Juritsch's blossoming popularity is a testament to the age-old adage that, at its heart, all you really need to make great country music is three chords and the truth. It doesn't matter where you're from - if you have a real, genuine story to tell, and you can captivate listeners in the way you tell that story, then there's a place for you in the genre.

By the same token, aside from highlighting his own artistic capabilities, Juritsch's ascent is another sign of how country music is rapidly expanding outside of the US.

Luke Combs becoming the first solo country artist to headline three nights at Wembley Stadium this summer, as well as selling out sizeable venues across Europe, underlines that there is a burgeoning appetite for the genre beyond the usual spots in the US.

Juritsch is a product of that growing buzz throughout Europe, and you can't help but feel that, if he can continue his present trajectory and leave his mark in Music City, it'll represent a watershed moment for so many other up-and-comers outside of the US.