Justin,
It is all cultural. THE LONE STAR STATE. Texans have always had a long proud tradition of going their own way, and resenting outsiders trying to change them. That is to be respected. And there is nothing wrong with that. Until you are trying to get others to bend to your will. If you do music that others' don't embrace because they don't come from that cultural background, THEN get mad at people, and insulting them for not GETTING it, that is where the problem is. and often where the chip on the shoulders come from.
Nashville has always been a melting pot, where people assimilate into the culture with versions of their own music drawing from influences of others that came before. More of a melting pot of America. We draw roots from rock, soul,blues, country, swing, story telling, and now even rap and hip hop (as much as I personally don't like that, but I cannot stand in people's way either), and then mix all that up into new sounds and subject matter. It will tend to get more formula in things as something becomes successful, it is milked for all it's worth, (Bro country), till the next trend comes along.
But Nashville has never been one going out to get people to conform to IT'S rules. Unless they are trying to come HERE. Then you have the same chance as anyone to adapt things to you. In my own era, the late 80's into the early 90's, the "Blue Eyed Soul" singers were everywhere. Delbert McClinton, Lee Roy Parnell, Travis Tritt. T.Graham Brown had the 'Run for the border" Taco Bell commecial. Blues songs were sneaking in everywhere.
Then, that DAMN OKLAHOMAN, GARTH BROOKS, came in and changed the landscape. Justin, he did much of the same type music your man Cody is doing here,traditional country stuff, but had HUGE energy. HUGE STAGE SHOWS, and THAT reset the bar for everything you still see today. Shania, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Even George Strait and Alan Jackson, all had the huge multi media stage show.
The latest to the panthenon would be Taylor Swift and the younger country singers that have taken over, with large rock type stage shows, energy in videos, and total music packaging.
What the guy you have offered here (and again, you asked me, I didn't go after him) seems to lack in what you have played is ENERGY, that it takes to engage modern audiences. And yes, he will find the fan base in the "cowboy states of the West." Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, etc.I know a guy here who does a "Tribute to Chris Ladoux. He flies out to those states a few months out of the year and does very well. Most of the people across the rest of the country don't even know who Chris was except for a line in a Garth Brooks song, "Much too Young to Feel This Damn Old." Chris did have a pretty decent career until he died of cancer, but was never quite the mainstream artist. He was a very successful niche artist. Which can be pretty lucrative and have it's own rewards in fan base.
What is kind of funny about that whole thing is that Chris ended up doing BIG STAGE SHOWS BECAUSE OF GARTH!
So the "Texas/Nashville' cultural clash is always going to go on. Nashville doesn't have it for Texas, but they sure have it for us. Wish it wasn't that way because I deal with a lot of Texas artists and writers who come here because they have gone as far as they can in Texas. A year ago I had the #1 Austin Songwriter of the year. He was sick of the 'go it alone' nature of Texas artists and how they were so unfriendly to people who didn't do it their way. And I do know a few that come here pretty routinely and try to fit in.
Don't look for them to start co-writing or extend a lot of hands. You can be blackballed pretty easily. Just try and learn what you can from both worlds. No reason you can't exist in both of them. Just don't try to convert anyone.
MAB