Damn, he’s hot! It’s what we said when we got to chat with Bryan Alan. Sounds like we got lucky! How did we keep from burning up when chatting with him?
Bryan Alan is singer/songwriter from Sacramento, California. He debuted in the local music scene in 2004, playing mainly coffee shops and bars. Later in 2004, he released his first EP known as Promises. Bryan Alan released his album called 7 Tracks independently in 2006, promoting it in the local scene. In 2011, he released his 2011 Sampler EP with a more acoustically focused sound. For his two singles, he polished his sound to a markedly more matured and refined style. Somewhere Down the Road was released in 2012 and his Moosic Records debut, Buried Love & Broken Hearts in 2014. Bryan Alan’s music is characterized as having poetic/catchy lyrics, a smooth voice, soothing guitar rhythms, and soaring harmonies.
First off, tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
I grew up in a musical family. My grandpa was a guitar player, my grandma played bass, my dad is a drummer/guitarist, and my aunt sang. Naturally, I got into music at a very young age. I’ve had a guitar and keyboard for as long as I can remember, but I was 10 when I really started to put in some effort and learned how to play. Throughout grade school, I would play with other musicians and perform at talent shows. By the time I was 18 I started playing solo acoustic shows around Sacramento. I quickly networked with other well know musicians and bookers around town and set up as many shows as I could opening for all of the popular acts in the area.
How would you describe your sound?
My sound has evolved a lot over the years. I would say it started off as emo and settled somewhere around pop-indie-alternative.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
When I first started performing solo, I think I was influenced by Dashboard Confessional and other emo bands from the early 2000s. As my sound matured, I started listening to a lot of Howie Day, Joseph Arthur, and Mat Kearney. All 3 of them are similar in a lot of ways but sound nothing alike. I think when I write I go for a blend of all 3 of their sounds.
What’s the last song you listened to?
I can’t remember, let me check my phone. Follow You by Bring Me the Horizon. A band that sounds nothing like I do.
What’s your source for hearing new music?
I usually start a radio station on Spotify based on a current song I am interested in. I hear a lot of new music this way, which is good because it keeps me current with what’s trending and the direction mainstream music is heading.
Who is your dream producer?
I don’t know, maybe Mark Ronson. He seems to be on top of his game producing hit after hit. Maybe have Andrew Scheps mix the song or album too.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
Collaborating with Taylor Swift would be awesome. She is a great songwriter, and I think our voices would go well together. Maybe Mark Ronson can produce that track!
What led you to music and what motivates you to keep making it?
As a kid, I loved listening to my dad play music. When I began playing myself, I had such a passion for it; I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. I can feel that fire inside burning every day, which is what keeps me going. I don’t release solo music that often because I’m usually working in/with other bands, but when I do, it’s always something I’m very proud of.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together? It usually starts with me fiddling around with some chords and strum patterns on guitar. I might sing gibberish to come up with a melody. Inevitably I wake up at 2 in the morning with lyric ideas and grab my guitar to test them out over the chord progression I had written earlier. If I like it, I open the sound recorder app on my phone and record a sample, so I don’t forget the way it sounds.
Connect with Bryan Alan via Instagram and at Moosicrecords.com.
Your songs tend to be about romance and relationship troubles. Would you mind telling us why that is and what was your inspiration for some of these songs?
Usually, my songs are based on something going on in my life at the time. During the writing process, I may embellish bits and pieces to make it more interesting or relatable. Burning Love & Broken Hearts is a good example of that. When I first wrote that song, it was when I was in an unsupportive relationship, and that’s where the chorus came from. I sat on the song for several years because I was never happy with the verses or the music. When I finally finished the song, it was also based on the current crumbling relationship I was in. Which is where the first verse came from. My songs are always very personal, and my hope is that someone listening to them will connect and feel like everything will work its self out and that there is someone out there who understands how they feel and what they are going through.
You’ve been in the game since the early 2000s. Has the game changed? Did marketing your music change at all?
Music is so different now. When I first started I use to leave a stack of CDs at all the venues in town were the flyers for current shows were sitting. I’d go to music stores and pin flyers to the bulletin board. I’ve even gone to warped tour and passed out demos to random people walking by. Guerrilla marketing is still a thing today, but with the rise of social media on the internet, it’s not very efficient. To be honest, I am terrible at promoting myself. I am an introverted person, so talking about myself isn’t something that comes easy to me.
You haven’t released an EP since your Sampler EP in 2011. Why is that? Do you feel releasing singles in today’s market is a better way to go about it?
I used to release 5 to 7 songs at a time, but that was before people really bough music online. No one wanted a CD with one song on it. In today’s music market, I can release a song right when I’m done recording it so fans can hear it immediately. I’m definitely a fan of singles, but I like the full album too. It’s great hearing a song by an artist you love and then having more to listen to.
Do you have any advice for new artists trying to make it in today’s music market?
Yes, find some groups online and network. Be active in the community and be a friend first. Don’t just promote your music. Listen to other’s music and compliment them. Share your thoughts on new music you’ve listened to and ask for other opinions. Treat promoting online the same way you would promote to your best friend. Have ten other conversations before you bring up your music and then ten more conversations not related to your music.
I love your sound. If I had to choose my two favorite songs, it would have to be “Somewhere Down the Road” and “Buried Love & Broken Hearts.” What inspired you to write these lyrics? Do you want to tell us about the production of these songs?
As I mentioned earlier, my songs are usually based on personal experience. The foundation of both of those songs were based on the same incident. I was in a relationship, and the person became very unsupportive of the things I was doing musically, and I felt like we were drifting apart. It felt like somewhere down the road we lost a puzzle piece. “Somewhere Down the Road” was on the 2011 Sampler EP as an acoustic guitar and vocal recording. In 2012 a friend of mine wanted to get into producing music, so I told him to test the waters with me. I sent him a bunch of songs I had written or was working on, and he chose “Somewhere Down the Road.” He and I reworked the lyrics and chord progression and added a lot more instruments and layers to the song. I really love the way it turned out. That experience is what had inspired me to finally finish Buried Love & Broken Hearts, which I had started writing about seven years earlier. It was one of those songs I always wanted to release, but it had to be perfect. I think over the years I had attempted recording that song 3 or 4 times. It’s unfortunate that it took so long to write, but I am very happy with how it turned out, and I’m glad I waited as long as I did.
Review: Ladies love Bryan Alan. People love Bryan Alan. Listen at your own risk, because his romantic poetry might entice you to become a groupie. His silvery voice delivers memorable lyrics that’ll have you singing long after you’ve heard Bryan Alan’s tunes. His songs would fit comfortably along with the radio top-40s, being heard at an open mic night, at a café, and in a college lounge. If you want to hear heartfelt and deep lyrics delivered with smooth vocals, then you need to listen to Bryan Alan.
