The start of the new year brought an unique opportunity for me to interview an incredibly talented and gracious man - Bryan White. He took time out of his busy schedule to discuss his music, life, and his new album Out Of The Storm with me. He shared his thoughts about a variety issues which give you a unique insight to an extraordinary man.
Laurie: During my research for this interview, I found that you have an enormous pool of talent within you. Producer, performer, song writer, session musician - out of all of those, which one is your favorite thing to do?
Bryan: Performing live. In a live show because it's fun, and there is so much energy. It is really hard to recreate or make that same energy happen in a studio. It's a little bit more stale of an environment and the microscope is so big in the studio you can hear all the imperfections and when you perform live you don't. Live is a good thing for me. That is what I like the most.
Laurie: During a live performance you get to see the audience's reaction to things?
Bryan: Absolutely. Especially when you are trying on a new song for the first time and playing it at few shows, putting it out there to see how people respond to it. Afterward, at the meet and greet, asking them what they thought about it, and their reaction to it. That is definitely a great vehicle to try out new songs, and it's great to have people out there that will give you honest feedback on what you're doing.
Laurie: During your time away from stage performing, it sounds like you did alot of song writing, were there any special projects you would like to tell us about?
Bryan: I partnered up with a long time and great friend Derek George, and we started our own production company. It is a place where we can develop new artists, in hopes to launch them and get their careers started. Basically, it's an opportunity for them to cut a great demo and go through some developmental stuff to really hone their chops, to prepare them to get out there are really do it. Not that I'm a guru of knowledge or anything, but I do know that I've got 15 years of experience, and I can at least tell them the mistakes I've made. They can learn from someone else, and what it was like for them, and to be able know what it is when they see those same things come down their pipe.
I've worked on several different projects, one is a girl that you will hear from soon, she is a phenomenal singer. Her name is Andrea Phearson. She just got a deal on Warner Brothers. She is working on the record now and it should be out hopefully by the end of this year. That is the latest project, I am not doing the record on her, but I feel we were very instrumental with where she's at now. We are excited for her, and to see where she goes. I feel very blessed to be able to do all the things that I feel I can do well, that's sing, produce, write songs. It's definitely a business where you can spread yourself too thin.
I'm really fortunate to do alot of things. I've got alot of areas that I've got to cultivate, and some areas to get better at, so there is always something to do.
Laurie: It sounds like it is kinda tough for these new people to get their foot in the door.
Bryan: Absolutely. The worst thing about this business, probably more so now than ever, is the fact it's not just about cutting a great demo and going to do a show, and getting a record deal.... it's a season we are all in with the world in general... it's about being your own cheerleader. Nobody is going to do it but you. You've gotta be your own networker, and create your own buzz, and become active in the town. Nashville is such a small town and if you are not in their face and saying hey, look at me, look at what I've got going on, then you get left behind. It's unfortunate that it's that way, because there is so much talent out there and I think that there are more than half get overlooked because they are not in front of the right people, and it's unfortunate. That is why I was inspired to start this production company because I just think there are a lot of people getting overlooked out there, and I will help them in any way. More importantly, it's a chance to help somebody not go down some of the same trails I went down, maybe I was insecure or afraid to say no, or too influenced by a certain side of the people I work with, or whatever.
Laurie: It's gotta be hard for the newer performers to try and fit a mold that a record label has told them they need to be like. An audience can tell when they are trying to be someone they are not.
Bryan: Yeah, there are some performers that are suffering through that right now, and they are not secure enough in themselves to do what they want to do. But there is the exceptional other half that are the fortunate enough, and have people around them that want them to be themselves, and then they are confident enough to say you know, I can't go and do that, I have to do this or I'm not going to do it at all.
Laurie: Good for them! At the same time that has to be a risky thing to do, knowing you could loose your dream?
Bryan: Yeah, exactly. I think our listeners can sniff out when someone is really not genuine or authentic. I think they can really tell when it is a cookie cutter thing. What really speaks the loudest on that token, is that some of the greatest songs in history are the simplest songs. They are not hugely in depth lyrics where people really have to dig into the cleverness of what they are trying to say. "Stand By Me," "You Are The Wind Beneath My Wings," those are cut and dry and simple and that is the way people talk to each other.