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Some people compare his sound to John Prine, others hear David Gray, still
others cite Springsteen or Tom Petty. No matter which comparisons Brian
Holbrook evokes the theme is clear: he's a storyteller.
Born and raised on the Northern edge of the New South, Brian soaked up
that region's oral storytelling tradiotions along with its roots music and
penchant for literature, and all of them combine to produce his peculiar brand
of literate, roots inspired folk music. Whether in a traditional story-song
like "Hands To Work", or the metaphor laced "Something Like A Star", Brian's
lyrics are his primary instrument.
Brian's self-released debut, "A Thousand Miles Long" showcases Brian using
this instrument, as well as a few others; banjo, bottleneck slide, harmonica,
and mandolins all found their way into Brian's hands over the course of
recording the album, though the the arrangements are anything but lavish.
"I really wanted a loose, spontaneous, live music feel, so I didn't really
rehearse anyof the overdubs." says Brian, "I also decided to use the most
energetic or inspired takes, --which are usually the first ones-- even at the
cost of having a flub or two on the record. So, if the time was a little elastic,
or if there was a little fret buzz, I decided to just run with it if the rest of the
take was better for the overall song."
This preference for honesty over polish, for a real connection over perfection
is the guiding philosophy of Brian's life, not just his music. "Ireally think that
there is a large segment of people that are just really tired of fake. Everything
today seems so calculated for effect. It's polled and tested and screened and
tweaked until nobody has anything real to say any more."
Real is exactly what Brian's songs are. From the searing "She Wants To Feel
Pretty" to the aching "Fingernails", his lyrics are long on raw emotion and
short on fluff. These stories are raw and real and uncommon in their
approach.
Much like their author.
Also Check Brian's September 11th project, Iconic (click image)