PRESS KIT CLICK HERE FOR BRANDON RHYDER'S ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT
Fortunately for Rhyder, “Conviction” kept him out of a cubicle. It’s also given him the equivalent of a graduate degree in music management – with his own career as his thesis. In response to fan demand, he’s also got a new album, “Brandon Rhyder Live.” He credits both – the fans and the album – to those lessons he learned. Rhyder had released two albums before “Conviction,” neither of which fulfilled him personally or professionally. “I tried to force-feed it,” he explains. “I felt like I had to fit in a scene, like I had to fit in this box to be recognized.” But it didn’t work. It wasn’t until he dropped his band and put himself out there alone – just a man with his guitar and his songs – that he felt a connection form. His audiences grew, and so did his determination. He’s got a team in place now – a reliable support system that includes bandmates Mike Henretty on drums and percussion, Charlie Richards on guitar and lap steel James Hertless on bass and harmonies and new member Ron D’Argenio on the Hammond B3. He’s also got the advice of good friends like Nashvillian Radney Foster, who executive-produced “Brandon Rhyder Live” and is helming Rhyder’s upcoming studio release, and Austinite Walt Wilkins, the former Nashville songwriter who co-produced “Conviction.” They proved invaluable as Rhyder entertained offers from various Nashville publishing houses before signing with the respected Harlan Howard Publishing Co., home to Mary Gauthier and Faith Hill’s new favorite, Lori McKenna. “It’s like going from the minors to the big leagues,” Rhyder
says, adding quickly, “It’s great to be here
in Texas. But we want to get to the next level, and that is national
exposure and possibly even
worldwide exposure. And if you don’t at least give that a shot,
then you never know if you could have By now, he knows he has a shot. “Conviction” produced four singles; it could have had six, but Rhyder wanted to give fans something else to listen to. And they’ve been begging “forever” for a live disc. “Brandon Rhyder Live” was recorded in Texas over two nights, one in College Station and one in Nacogdoches. The 13-song collection contains seven new tunes, including two studio-recorded tracks, plus versions of some cuts on “Conviction” and his two earlier albums, “Because She Loves Me” and “Behind the Pine Curtain.” “I didn’t want it to feel like a live greatest-hits record,
because I don’t know that I’ve had any greatest
hits so far,” Rhyder says humbly. But the first single, “Home
Again,” was released on MySpace in
June and had 22,000 plays in three weeks. And the site only tallies full
run-throughs, not quick clicks. Lyrics like that – plus some dynamite musical hooks – are what make Rhyder’s songs resonate with his expanding audience. The 206 gigs he played last year kept this dedicated family man away from his Austin home far more than he would like, but he’s OK with that. The steady income keeps the band’s families fed and allows him to keep his dream alive. “We
can continue to grow, continue to really educate ourselves and make good
decisions,” he says.
Rhyder learned a lot from “Conviction,” – including
the fact that achieving success takes time. Effort.
Diligence. Preparation. And yes, a little bit of luck. And that’s
just to get people to notice you. When it “Quite frankly,” says Rhyder, “music changes lives. I want to be a part of that.” Written by Lynne Margolis |
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PRESS
The
Pine Log VENUES / CLUBS The Golden Light (Amarillo, TX) PLAYED WITH Pat Green |
When
Brandon Rhyder released “Conviction” two years ago, he saw
the album as a make-it-or-break
it proposition. Either it jump-started his music career, or he’d
have to give up the dream and finally put
that industrial technology degree to use.