Brendan James (00:01):
Okay. I’m here with Brendan James. He is an American singer songwriter in the pop focus genre, akin to David Gray, Jason Maraz, and Elton John. He was signed to Capitol records at age 25, universal at 28. He’s reached the number one spot on iTunes. Multiple times accrued more than 1 million fans in 65 countries on Spotify has been played on multiple formats of American and European radio collaborate and on tour with John Mayer, John legend, cat Stevens, Carly Simon, Kevin Mo, Andy grammar. That’s kind of amazing. This song has been placed in over 15 major television shows and films worldwide. And he was what I really want to talk about. He took a six month journey around the globe with his wife and two toddlers and, you know, I think a lot. And we’ll talk about this. A lot of the material from his latest album came from there on the road from a laptop friend and James what’s up. Ooh,
David Waranch (01:01):
Thank you. Thanks for having me. I’m
David Waranch (01:03):
Very excited. I w I’ve always wanted to get a musician and an artist, cause I’m always interested in the creative process, particularly when you have wife and very young children. But before we get there, let’s get a little bit about you. Like where were you born? How did you become a musician? Talk to me.
Brendan James (01:24):
Sure, sure. I was born in New Hampshire. Yeah. Born and raised, spent the first 18 years there. And you know, till the day I die, I will give credit to a music teacher named Kevin candle who, when I was like 17 sort of intervened in my life with a kind word and, and some time that any, any saw something in me, musically that I hadn’t really seen in myself yet. And he said, you have a really interesting voice and yes, I know you’re a deep thinker and you know, you might want to learn an instrument and be able to express some of those thoughts. And I, I think you could do it and, and just, you know, that intervention was huge.
David Waranch (02:06):
That wasn’t until 17, which, you know, you hear these stories of musicians are like, I learned when I was four,
Brendan James (02:11):
Right? No, I was totally a late bloomer. Elton John is the piano player he is today because he’s, he started at four years old, you know? I mean, so I, I basically saw it like I was experiencing life for the first 17 years and then started to finally put that life into song
David Waranch (02:27):
And piano. That was the instrument, huh?
Brendan James (02:30):
Yeah. That was the one we had in our house. And that was one I used to kind of mess around on. I was a horrible piano player. I swear until the age of like 28, I was a songwriter piano player for those first few years I was learning, which basically means you’re, you’re just using it as a vessel to write. And it wasn’t until I did a whole bunch of shows and got in front of crowds for years that I felt like I was okay. I think I’m a piano player.
David Waranch (02:56):
I like it. It locked in. Maybe, maybe it’s maybe it’s a 10,000 rule. I think
Brendan James (03:00):
It is. Yeah, for sure. Yeah.
David Waranch (03:02):
Yeah, no. And then you were, what, 25, they signed you to Capitol records and I was at, is that right? I think, I think I read your work in an urban Outfitters in, in New York city. And I want you to tell me a little bit about that phase. That sounds really interesting.
Brendan James (03:16):
Well, you know, much to my mother’s dismay. I mean, she was supportive, but she had just helped put me through four years of college. I went to UNC chapel Hill and basically just more than anything, discovered a love of music and songwriting during those four years and move right to New York city and sort of didn’t use my college degree and got a job folding clothes and met a manager and started the hustle. And three years later, I was still working at that same urban Outfitters and Capitol records live in the musician’s life. I’ll never forget telling my boss at Capitol. I was like, I’m going to quit in three weeks. He’s like, why, why? And I said, well, I’m moving to Hollywood. I just, I got a major record deal. And he’s like, what? Okay. Yes, go. It was great having you so, wow.
David Waranch (04:04):
And that was, I mean, I know, I think the, now you already have six studio albums. Yeah. And that was the first one. Well, what year was that?
Brendan James (04:11):
That was Oh five. And that wasn’t even, I didn’t, I didn’t get an album out in those first two years re major label politics or that’s a whole other story, but yeah.
David Waranch (04:21):
Yeah. There was like a merger. We don’t have to get into that, but it sounded, yeah,
Brendan James (04:25):
I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world, but the, but you are, if you’re a new artist on a big label, you’re at the whim of whoever the president is and what the politics are at the label. And that label was in a tumultuous time back then. So
David Waranch (04:38):
Yeah. And back then you were a single guy and now you’re a married guy with what? A two and four year old. Are they a little
Brendan James (04:46):
They’re older now they’re four and six now. Four and six. So when did you get married? In Oh nine and yeah, the story of us is crazy that we, we met in Charleston, South Carolina. My best friend owned an art gallery down there, down here where I am now. Beautiful city. Yeah. I love Charleston. But you know, he, it was a setup. He was like, Brendan, you’re gonna, you’re gonna fall in love with my new gallery director. I know it. And I was like, well, I don’t know, Rob, I’m just getting signed to some major label stuff here. I’m going to live. I don’t think I’m trying to meet the one right now. And of course you have no control over those things have control of that timing. So when I, 25 was about the most exciting, challenging, stimulating time of my whole life, you know, trying to figure out how I was going to carve this path.
David Waranch (05:40):
So your friend was right. I mean, you married her. I married her
Brendan James (05:43):
Four years later. And when we were 34, we had our first child and I’ve just tried to do that balance. I w I’ve used it for about four to six months a year. And make sure,
David Waranch (05:58):
Yeah, let’s talk about that. Like pre pandemic, what was your life with marriage and children and being a working musician? W you said you were touring how for four to six months, a year.
Brendan James (06:11):
Yeah. Sporadically. I ended up being gone about five months or so. It’s just, you know, it’s, it’s a challenge. It’s the way I’ve found out. The way I’ve found that it works for me is not really being on record labels and not really having a huge team around me cause you can’t, you have, you have to, you know, do what everybody’s hoping and thinking when you have a team and now I have a manager and a press agent and a band and a booking agent and that’s it. And I have my following. So I do a lot of private shows and I do a lot of clubs and small theaters, but it’s sorta all comes through me. Now, everybody sort of asks me, Hey, can you handle this tour? Hey, can you handle this show? And that’s the only way I’ve found to be a good father and a good musician. Is that way
David Waranch (07:01):
Private sounds increasingly like a nice tell me if I’m wrong. The capacity for working musician in particularly in a pandemic, is that, is that something you’ve kind of, how often are you doing that or how often were you doing that? As far as that versus clubs,
Brendan James (07:17):
Dude, the private show at a K a living room show is honestly my lifeblood. It is, I enjoy it the most. It provides a lot of my salary and my fulfillment. I’ve been doing them for about five years. I’ve just kind of tried to get a little network together. People who there’s several fans, you have that won it once a year. So you can kind of say, okay, cool, I’ll be back next year with new songs. And just try to give a,
David Waranch (07:42):
I love the idea because certain venues I’ll always say, wow, it’s like seeing a, seeing a musician in your living room. And literally it is my wife used to work with some people that way they would do private, like classical piano shows. You know, some comedians will do that. I think it’s a wonderful idea. I think there’s like companies that organize these things.
Brendan James (08:03):
Yep. There’s all kinds of like startups now that are helping to get your private show. And I started, I started early enough where there’s a firetruck going by. Yeah, no worries. But I started early enough where I have a little circuit on my own and I don’t know, I’m so grateful for it and I still play venues, but you can, when it’s the private stuff, it’s all you, it’s, you controlling your career. And so few musicians can do that, you know?
David Waranch (08:30):
Well, and you’re also building your, your audience. So when you come into that town, hopefully, you know, you know, this venue or this particular town, hopefully, or there’s, or there’s like certain cities or towns that you think there’s more of an audience like this is the Brendan James city over other ones, like where you, like, I got to come here because for whatever reason they love it.
Brendan James (08:53):
You know, there, there are, I feel like you’ll talk to a lot of musicians and a lot of them will tell you, I’m sure different genres might have different pockets, but there’s a, there’s a, a sort of a known thing that Chicago, New York, Denver, this place is, are real music, loving cities. The Midwest overall is probably the most fervent. I think you’ve talked to a lot of bands, fervent sort of you know, listenership.
David Waranch (09:23):
Yeah. I would think of course, New York, I would also think maybe Austin Nashville. Yeah.
Brendan James (09:28):
But you would think that, and I’m not saying the huge bands don’t have huge shows in those big cities. Right. But the mid-level bands, you’re not always going to find Austin and Nashville or your highest turnouts because they can be a little more industry-based you’re having a really saturated, right? Yeah. Yeah. And there’s, yeah. There’s so much live music going on in those towns all the time that I would tell you hands down, I love to roll through, you know, Iowa, or I’d love to roll through a small town in Michigan based on, you know, just that you get the real fans know industry comes and we kinda like it when that happens. What about Atlanta, Atlanta also? Yes, that’s a great pocket. Atlanta and North Carolina for me. Charlotte is great. So,
David Waranch (10:11):
So pre pandemic, I mean, it sounds like you were really grinding it out. How like how many, when you were on tour, like, was it almost every night in a, in a club?
Brendan James (10:20):
No, no, no. It’s when I’m, when I’m on tour, I’ll do like 14 to 16 days out and I’ll try to do 10 shows in that period of time. Okay. And then I’ll come home for a few weeks. Maybe then I would do like the West coast for 14 or 16 days. And then all the private stuff is very sporadic. It’s like, okay, I’ll tell my wife. I needed to go do four private shows here next week. And in three weeks from now, I’ll do four private shows here. So you can kind of sprinkle your year
David Waranch (10:48):
And, and not to get too personal. Like how do you all manage marriage and kids during, during that time? I know again, we’re talking about before the pandemic, as far as, you know, staying connected and it must be very hard
Brendan James (11:02):
For an artist to,
David Waranch (11:05):
To maintain these, these family connections.
Brendan James (11:08):
It’s it is. And I’m going to just do a big shout out right now, not only to my partner, but to every partner of an artist. It is an enormous job. And my wife deserves so much credit for how she has handled me and handled what I’m trying to achieve with my art. And I, I w till the day I die, I’m going to say that I was able to achieve what I did because of, you know, being supported in a way. And I’ll never overlook that.
David Waranch (11:40):
Yeah. Which is incredible because unfortunately it seems like a lot of artists can’t integrate the creative process within having relationships. I’m not talking about him, I’m talking men and women and children. Cause it takes, I’m imagining so much of it. It’s really to everything, not just the writing of the songs and the creative process, the management, I mean, you really have to be married to that. Totally. So I think
Brendan James (12:08):
People it’s so hard to describe what the sacrifice and the time it takes to, and you’re doing it because you love it. I’m not saying it’s this horrible sacrifice, but the time it takes to just create a piece of art and sell it and create more art and make a career out of it is just this it’s a marriage
David Waranch (12:28):
Paid for it and get paid and somehow
Brendan James (12:30):
Not have another job, you know? I mean, it’s, you’re exactly right. It’s like having another marriage and trying to balance the two. No, I’ve, that’s been the biggest challenge of my life. And finally I’m like, okay, I think I’ve done it. I think I’m doing it. Let me just hold this. Somebody hold me, hold this pattern because it’s working. But it took a minute.
David Waranch (12:50):
Yeah, no, I am. And there’s so much when you’re pre you know, pre pandemic on the road. I would, you know, I think a lot of there’s temptations, there’s new cities, there’s new people. There’s I think there’s a lot of pitfalls. I would think I’m not a rockstar. Yeah, totally, totally. I don’t even mean, I mean, even just to stay grounded in just sort of this other life that you have, this kind of what do you call it? Domestic life to stay grounded in that at the same time you’re playing all these people at night and your kids are at home. And that just seems like such a Dick dichotomy
Brendan James (13:30):
With such two different worlds. And it’s not even that I’m, I’m a singer songwriter in like a pop folks, genre, you know, I’m not partying every night and going crazy, but it is a whole different world being on the road, our only priority. And it’s a big one, but our only priority is to just really nail the show at night. And that entails staying healthy and being able to do five shows a week, but that’s all you’re thinking about. And so then you have time off on the road and you just want to like totally chill. So you can be a great performer that night and think of how basic that is compared to when you go home, the amount of minutiae and daily challenges you have in home, domestic life is just innumerable it, you know?
David Waranch (14:12):
Yeah. No Heights, it’s two worlds are crazy. Do you, do you, I’m a big kind of fish too. Like, do I dunno if that’s your, that’s your thing? I just remember listening to an interview once of Tran Statia. They played all night, new years, two thousands, you’d sing in front of 70,000 people. And it was the most amazing experience of his life. And like the next day, you know, he’s goes to like, I don’t know, like a new year’s party and like the difference with like a few people. He’s like, it was the weirdest, it was just in front of 70,000 people all night. And he comes to a, a new year’s party and he was, I can’t articulate it, but he was describing, you know, you’re, you’re at a club, you Brendan James, and hopefully you had a great show and then you’re home. And it’s like, I got to take out the trash.
Brendan James (14:57):
Like it it’s all about adrenaline. And I, I, it’s amazing to me what courses through your veins during a show and after a show, and you’ll never get that feeling in, in just a normal domestic day, you’ll get other wonderful fulfilling feelings. Right. But you’re not going to get this like literally natural physiological adrenaline rush that makes you feel like everything is perfect, you know, and that’s what performers are getting. It’s gotta be. So
David Waranch (15:28):
I know it was like, all right, we playing for an hour or two, two and a half, but just your all day long. And you’re preparing for that. You play, and then you’re up really late and the next day, and then you do it again. And sometimes I’m in concerts and like watching these artists, like, I don’t know how to do it. And then tomorrow night they’re going to do the same thing and the next night and that audience, right. They paid for that day, that ticket, that show, maybe be waiting to be awesome, maybe waiting for months. And if you have an off night, which happens, right. It’s like they it’s, and it’s like a highlight of music is such a big part of my life. It’s like highlight of my life when I see my favorite artists perform. And there’s nothing like sharing the same space, breathing the same air and your favorite artist,
Brendan James (16:11):
You know, I had a nickel for every time I’ve been in a green room and said to my band, I understand why musicians do drugs. Like, right. I am lucky that I have never been addicted to them. And I have really stayed away from hard drugs, my whole career. I’m not saying I haven’t drunk here and there before to shows like that helps for sure. But you get it’s 4:00 PM and you’re exhausted from two shows prior and you’re in a new city and it’s sold out and you’re in New York and you get all these tweets and Instagram posts like Brendan’s live in New York tonight. I’m coming and bringing six friends. This is my birthday and you’re exhausted. And you’re like, how am I going to give,
David Waranch (16:48):
Stay up? How am I going to give her performance? How am I going to be the rocks? The guy. Yeah. It’s so understandable would probably offering, you know,
Speaker 3 (16:56):
It’s all there, if you want it. It’s so easy
Brendan James (16:58):
Because you’re in a different reality anyway. So yeah, it just, and that’s also why you find musicians nowadays just being so healthy and doing yoga and trying meditation and just saying, okay, how do I stay balanced to be great every night? Yeah.
David Waranch (17:14):
Yeah. I I wanted to hear about your influences too. And then we’ll move on to the really cool story of, of how you wrote this album. But Dylan, Bob Dylan, of course is one of my favorites. And I was at a show when I was very close to him, close up and he, for his age was looked pretty good. I mean, he was thin I think he, the city quit smoking and I would imagine he would have to, when you’re in your seventies and you’re touring around the world, they said, he, at least now I don’t know about before that he was very, very health conscious because otherwise he couldn’t do what he did, what he does every, every night all around. So who are some of yours? Like I think Bob, Dylan is one of your, Oh, definitely. And how, how can you not be right. But let’s be honest.
Brendan James (17:58):
Let’s be honest. If you’re going to write words for your career, then you’re going to, you’re going to have Dylan up there and your top three. I mean, he’s just the word Smith and he’s also, it’s not just wordsmith for me. He’s just been inspiring. Like he has inspired millions of other people. Yeah. For his confidence and attitude. Like,
David Waranch (18:17):
He’s like my guru on how to live
Brendan James (18:20):
The Peru. He’s like the consummate stick your middle finger up to the world because this is who I am. And anyway, that’s, I literally have, for years had WW D written on my keyboard. So when I’m live, I’m thinking, what would Bob Dylan do right now? What kind of confidence level can I have? Am I allow myself to have a huge confidence right now being with the artists that I want to be
David Waranch (18:47):
Exactly like there’s and there’s such a mystique around him that there are numerous podcasts of course, about him.
Brendan James (18:53):
Yeah. Well, sure. I’m sure. Oh my gosh, Paul Simon. Oh yeah. Jeff Buckley. Yeah, I was just, when I was young looking up at other musicians, I was like, I just want to emulate the very best of what I think of the craft and, you know, the way Jeff Buckley would perform and shape his phrasings and pickets qualities and the risks he would take. And to this day, I’m working on how to take more risks because of the risks Jeff Buckley would take, you know?
David Waranch (19:25):
And I think he’s a little bit still under appreciated. He’s sorta like a musician’s musician. I know, I know he’s widely known and people love him, but it doesn’t seem like he’s as appreciated mainstream as he should be.
Brendan James (19:35):
Yeah, exactly. Oh my gosh. Eva Cassidy comes to mind another person who’s, who’s now passed away. I’m kind of dark in this way. I love Nick Drake, something about artists who don’t live that long, that there’s this pain to them that maybe gravitated towards Elliot Smith, Elliot Smith to say, Oh my gosh, that pain, Nick Drake, just when I hear his music and there’s that song, he has fig tree and famous for the fig tree. You know, it, it just hits me so hard. Here’s an artist, literally suicidal and talking about how hard it is to try to compete amongst his fellow. I mean, Elton John was huge when Nick Drake is trying to break out, like, how do you compete with Elton John when you’re Nick Drake? You know what I mean? Like, and the fame machine and all that. Like, so yeah.
David Waranch (20:26):
Yeah. I guess the cool thing about nowadays and Nick Drake, didn’t get to see this. You kind of don’t have to, you can, you can build your own thing.
Brendan James (20:32):
Yes. So true. And so anyway. Yeah, I love those guys, but I Coldplay was huge for me to Chris Martin. His writing style was huge, big influence for me, but I digress. Yeah.
David Waranch (20:46):
I was telling you before. And the song Barcelona has been in my head. Thank you for that boss though. It’s a beautiful song. It’s a beautiful album. Thanks. So you decided we’ll hear about in 2018. What is it? Yeah, I’m going to sell my house in Charleston. I’m gonna take my two year old, my four year old, my wife. And I’m just going to get on the road and write an album on my laptop. Eat at grocery stores, go to playgrounds. Like what prompted you, which is so many people I think have this fantasy. What prompted you to actually do it,
Brendan James (21:22):
Man? My wife and I just looked at each other, you know, a few days in the house we were living in and the neighborhood we were living in. And we’re just like, what? We didn’t think this would be us like kind of little too busy, but too busy for our own good. And the mortgage was a little high for our own. Good. And then all of a sudden you have two cars and then you’re paying for preschool and you’re like, Holy. I didn’t think this would be me. How did we get here? How did we get here? But that’s what happens when you have two kids in the Western world, you just get there. And we didn’t like it. I didn’t like how it felt. I didn’t like the house. I didn’t like the fact that we were living in a house that the only way for us to actually feel proud of that house was to do a a hundred thousand dollars renovation or something, you know?
Brendan James (22:00):
And I’m like, screw this. So my wife w she suggested it. She was like, well, let’s just sell it and let’s get a smaller house, but let’s, if we can make some money on the sale, why don’t we just travel for a while? If you’re uninspired, which I was at the time, she’s like, you’re not writing much. You can just put touring off for six months. Right. I’m like kind of figured this out, you know, we’ll figure it out. And then I was just, we just made the decision to do it. And for anybody listening, who’s like on the verge of making a big decision and just not sure from my experience of doing this now, I, I really say, make the decision, make the scary decision, because I’ll never forget waking up the next morning and being, and just saying, Oh my gosh, our adventure already started. Like, we’re not going to get on the first flight for six months from now, but Holy, we get to start planning right now. That gets my life has changed already the next morning, just the decision, you know, and I’ll never forget how exciting those first few months of planning were.
David Waranch (23:03):
When you, when you were traveling the immigrant to the places where you, what did you guys do? RV or van, or what, what were you traveling in
Brendan James (23:09):
The combo? Whatever, whatever made the most sense, usually whatever was the most economically beneficial to us, but we, we did it all. We did. We did an RV through Iceland, which was like 26 days or something only 15 of which was in the RV, but that was still expensive.
David Waranch (23:27):
Here’s what I have. Tell me if I’m missing anything. Holland, England, France, Italy, Croatia, Spain, Iceland, Rwanda, Thailand, New Zealand, and each country, a minimum of 15 days avoided tourist attractions. Like I said, went to local playground, shopped at grocery stores, cooked meals together. Any other that I missed any countries?
Brendan James (23:52):
That was it. That was it. And that was our real goal. We, we didn’t set out to see anything, which is funny. People can travel so differently. And my wife, which is why I love her. I mean, she just wanted to experience the smells and the sounds and the people in conversations. We didn’t have this other than Northern lights. I swear to you, we didn’t have one city or attraction that we needed to see. I just wanted to experience how it felt to stand in other places.
David Waranch (24:23):
Because a lot of times, you know, I’ve had this experience, you go somewhere and you’re, you have a week and you see all the stuff and then you’re exhausted and stressed and can actually really enjoy the place. Cause you’re too busy saying, you know, the Eiffel tower or whatever, you really immerse yourself in, in the culture.
Brendan James (24:39):
I mean, I always try to put myself in someone else’s shoes, like, okay, if someone were going to come visit Charleston right now, would I rather, they go and make sure they see the market or three beautiful churches, or would I love them to like dig into one of the parks that I go to and talk to some of the friends that I meet there and just feel what it feels like to live in Charleston. So
David Waranch (25:01):
That’s much prefer the, the ladder, you know
Brendan James (25:03):
What I mean? So, and that, and Barcelona I’m, I’m jumping to it is just, is I’m really proud of it, but I’m laughing because it was about a day that we did just the opposite and we didn’t listen to our initial principles for the trip. And we thought, okay, well, we’re in Barcelona. We, we should go sight-see and we’ve got to see what this architect, this designer Anthony Gowdy was all about. And, and we just hit pitfall after pitfall because of all the other tourists and the heat. And it was Milo’s birthday. My two year old, my son was turning two and there we were not even paying attention to him because we’re in lines. It’s like, what are we doing?
David Waranch (25:44):
Yeah. When I think it’s a gift, by the way, they give to give your kids. And not just, just the, maybe they don’t remember, you know, each, each day, but there’s an experience of like being with these different people in different cultures and they’re learning resilience and social range. And so how were they? I mean, they were two and four. I mean, how did that, Oh my gosh. Was that rough? There was some rough times. Yeah.
Brendan James (26:10):
Oh God. Yeah. I mean, we’re talking 40% of the trip was, it was challenging in that way, but we always laughed. We’re like, this is what it would be at home. Right. If we just, but we’d be in a grind, we’d be trying to balance careers with this. So sure. There’s going to be a hard moment, but,
David Waranch (26:27):
And just let’s I want to say once, you know, yeah. It’s vacation just yelling at my kids in a different place, but
Brendan James (26:32):
Totally, totally, totally. But, but yeah, I mean, they, they did amazingly a really good example that comes to my mind when, you know, when I hear that is my daughter’s favorite place ended up being Rwanda. We truthfully, we weren’t able to do very much in Rwanda because of some of the restrictions and some of the money that it would have taken to take the excursions that, you know, we could have taken. And I didn’t really want to do the westerner in Africa, excursions, I, anyway, but so she didn’t do much for those 16 days. We were in a great spot and the people she met and the staff of where we were staying and the locals that were coming in and out, they were so good to the kids and so much love for them. But that ended up being her favorite place. That’s what I
David Waranch (27:19):
Want. Remember there’s connections with the people,
Brendan James (27:21):
To people like that. Literally there was two security guards that were working near where we were staying and they played little soccer with Louis, a little soccer ball with the kids every single day. And it was Ms. Jackie and Mr. David and Kenny still talks about them Ms. Two years ago. And she’s not talking about the fact that we saw Stonehenge or something, you know what I mean?
David Waranch (27:40):
Right. It’s these special little experiences. Yeah. So yeah, no, I remember we were in Montreal with my kids and they were real young and the thing they remember is the waiter at this pizza restaurant that was like, kept talking to them. You know, I remember that guy. Yeah. And we have a picture of him and it’s like of all the things you remember that one.
Brendan James (27:59):
Exactly that.
David Waranch (28:02):
And, and so, I mean, and th the other thing we should point out is you actually, weren’t just on vacation. You wrote an album.
Brendan James (28:08):
I did, I didn’t really expect to do. I I’m so glad, but I had not been inspired for at least a year, if not two, before this trip. And I was admittedly just giving a lot to parenting and couldn’t find those long windows of time to create. And then here I am on this trip where my kids would go to bed around nine. My wife would either just kind of be chilling out drinking wine, or she’d fall asleep early with them. And there I was with a laptop and time,
David Waranch (28:35):
I think is really cool. Cause I think a lot of artists would be like, this is not inspiring ping with my kids and wife 24 seven, but it was like the opposite.
Brendan James (28:43):
Well, totally because think of what my priorities were, my priorities were, keep everyone safe, have a great day. Okay. Everyone’s sleeping. I’m not thinking of anything else that that’s key for an artist as I’ve found, put yourself in places where you really, which is hard by the way, try to put yourself on retreats for two or three weeks where you really can say, Hey world. I can’t think about you for a second other responsibilities. I do have to listen to this creative side and I was able to,
David Waranch (29:13):
Do you have any practices to get there or just, just being in a particular or do you just have to wait for the muse to show up or do you let’s say yoga, meditation? Any, any, anything like that?
Brendan James (29:25):
No, I don’t have any tricks. I did. I, my method for me is if I’m happy in my life and if I’m living the rest of my life, well, then the muse finds me and that’s nice. And so if I can focus on doing the things that I do to be proud of, whether it’s just being a good husband, being a good dad, having some friendships that I’m proud of and just kind of when I’m starting to skip along through life and everything’s cool for a month or two, I’m like, Oh, I want to write right now. It’s so I’ve always found that correlation.
David Waranch (29:56):
How, wait, how long were you guys out on the road for this six months? Six months, right? Yeah. And you got back and the album just came out, right? October 20th
Brendan James (30:06):
Finally dropped. It took about, it took about 16 months to make it and that was, you know, with, COVID starting to definitely hit us. Like we were almost finished and had a whole bunch of Kickstarter backers who were ready for the album in April. And we all know, we all know what happened this year.
David Waranch (30:23):
Yeah. So you waited a little longer and now it’s out. And what are you, are you doing any private shows or zoom shows or how’s that, how’s that going?
Brendan James (30:33):
What a, what a, what a new world. I’m trying to do a few private shows. I have two private shows this weekend in North Carolina, actually small shows. And I’ve done about five of those this year and five streaming shows. So I’m, I’m looking at like 10 performances. Yeah. I usually do 80 performances, but 10 have helped him. My fans have been amazing and I’m so, I’m so grateful from the bottom of my heart. They’ve been tipping me at all these shows and they just it’s like, they just know, you know, they just are like, let me help.
David Waranch (31:08):
Oh yeah. I it’s the thing I miss the most is going to a live show. I’ve seen some virtual things and it’s great. And I always want to support artists that I love, but there’s the energy of being with other people, seeing the artist performing in front of me and people ask, what do you miss the most? It, it, we don’t eat in restaurants. We’ll get carry out. But, and, and I miss that, but I really miss the communal experience of seeing live music. And there’s nothing like it. And I just can’t wait for this thing to be over. So I can see artists live again.
Brendan James (31:46):
You just played a show in California two weeks ago, a backyard show. And it was one of the only ones that I’ve done. That’s just live this year. And I’m telling you, we turned on the PA people were milling about, there’s like 30 people there and there’s talking to their friends and we were just doing a quick sound check. And once we dialed the settings in and we turn those speakers up and I started to sing hearing my own voice through this PA and then everyone stopped and just kind of looked at the stage, like, what was that like the feeling through speakers when you’re around other people is who knew that it was this special to humanity? I don’t think people even knew myself included how special it was to, to do that. Oh, okay.
David Waranch (32:27):
It’s like going to church, it’s like this, at least for, I mean, at least for someone like me who just thinks this is this primal experience for, for people. And, and, and I’m sure I know some comedians are doing like in New York city stuff in the park. And then I know there have been live shows. I know there’s like a drive-in movies, but it’s still, for me, not the same. Cause we’re like worried about keeping our distance and wearing masks. And it’s just, it’s not, I dunno, I kind of only missed the smell of beer in the air. I miss, you know, like chaos, chaos and people around me in the stimulation and the whole, when you go to the show, there’s something about like going in the parking lot, you know, like I said you know, buying a grilled cheese, you know, for people who like that scene and just walking around, just feel just the smells, the sights, the sounds, the whole thing
Brendan James (33:21):
We are, we are like energetic beings and we, we literally sustain and are made better by moments around others that we can’t control and electrons bouncing between us. And there’s none of that right now. We are these boring, predictable beings right now because we have to be, I mean, it’s crazy. Right.
David Waranch (33:42):
What you know, this is the authentic tad podcast. What do you have any, like let’s say someone who’s a creative at heart and is got the got the, got the family. And do you have any advice on how to kind of be, or live a creative life and integrate cause someone who wants both, which is a beautiful thing to have a beautiful family. And also sometimes as we talked about hard to integrate, let’s say they’re want to write a book or be an artist. Like, is there any know you said there’s no tricks? Like how do you integrate it? Cause it looks like you’re holding both balls pretty darn successfully at the same time. And I don’t know if there’s a clear answer to that, but what, what do you do? Cause it sounds like you kind of have you’ve you’ve worked this out where a lot of people haven’t,
Brendan James (34:36):
I don’t exactly know how to answer that, but yeah, I’m, I’m, I’m I have so many things I want to say. One thing is that, is that what I would like to say to my younger self who was really conflicted by what you just said? Yeah. When I was 27, it was probably the hardest time of my life to figure out how the hell I was going to do this. Both were so important. Both were equally important to me. And what I would tell my younger self is take a deep breath. Don’t stress, just do your best at each and realize you have to make sacrifices on each one and just decide what those limits are, decide what the sacrifices are and just stick to it. And you’ll have time. It’s going to take you a little longer than someone who could just pursue art a hundred percent. Right. But in that time you’re gonna write richer things and you’re going to have more to offer if you have a full life with your artistry. So just don’t be so hard on yourself for not being able to hit one so hard. You know, like
David Waranch (35:42):
That’s a beautiful answer. I think it doesn’t have to be one way or the other,
Brendan James (35:45):
Right. It doesn’t. And I always thought it did. And I was around people, teammates of mine in the music industry who thought it had to be one sided. And then you get around the woman you love and your friends. And they sort of thought it had to be one sided, you know, leaning that way. And there wasn’t a middle.
David Waranch (36:02):
I don’t even think it’s just in the arts. I mean, even I’m an attorney by trade. And even like, if totally, and even in that world, it’s like, why are you not your office? Why are you taking a walk with your kids? It’s really mad. Like I work for myself. It’s my thing. Just like, that is the best thing I ever did because you know, you, you own it, man. Nobody’s telling you what to do or how many shows to, or hope not how many shows to perform or how many albums to crank out or why are you doing this or that? So, no, you’re exactly right. And it’s beautiful.
Brendan James (36:38):
Not exclusive to artistry, to being an artist or a musician. It’s not at all. It’s every person’s struggle. Every man and woman to American balanced. Yeah. It’s yeah. It’s a, the Western to try to figure it out. But yes, it’s I could talk about it forever. I mean, it’s
David Waranch (36:52):
What is your wife in the arts or what? What’s
Brendan James (36:56):
She’s in gallery director and art gallery.
David Waranch (36:58):
She that’s how you met, right? She was a gal. She has. So she is, yeah,
Brendan James (37:01):
She’s in the arts, but she’s yeah, she does. She doesn’t consider herself an artist. But clearly she’s in the world he’s made to be around artists. She does when we need her. We basically,
David Waranch (37:16):
Yeah, no, that’s really cool. Is great. Cause that’s how you met, right? She was doing the gallery. That’s how you got to Charleston.
Brendan James (37:24):
Yeah. But she’s her own thing. I mean, she’s from Northern California. She’s at one awesome person. I’ll tell you that. She’s she’s amazing.
David Waranch (37:33):
We’ll have her on.
Brendan James (37:34):
Yeah. She should be on next to me next time. Although it should, she wouldn’t want to talk much and she’d be like, huh,
David Waranch (37:40):
It’s awfully quiet there. I guess your, your kids are somewhere else.
Brendan James (37:44):
Yeah, my kids are one’s at school and one is being watched by a friend because I’m have a studio session today. So yeah.
David Waranch (37:53):
Well what I mean, what, anything else that you think that we should, that you want to say? I like this quote, I think this was maybe been on your website. You say what, what I hope to do is calm Stranton and transport my listeners to a better self and turn and in turn, maybe I get there too, as he means it pending songs on the topics of love, optimism, political, and adventuring aimlessly through the natural world. He’s left no stone unturned in his sixth studio album. And I’ve only begun. I think that’s a beautiful quote. Like what tell me a little bit about that. Well, you know,
Brendan James (38:36):
I think art in general, I don’t want to just say it’s exclusive to me. It’s the only experience I have is my own. And I have felt like I am a mix of broken, but also confident enough to just talk about the brokenness to almost the nth degree and that can make for some really honest art and I, so I, I want to help people with my art, but by no way, do I feel like I have arrived in, I am fine. So I’m just able to just discuss it and say, Hey, this is what happened to me and I’m broken. So let’s try to get somewhere together.
David Waranch (39:16):
People who are like is my working theory. I’m sure it’s possible, but like the very wholesome, most well-adjusted who had the beautiful, you know, I’m sure everyone has problems in their childhood, but when they got the most love in the world, they don’t make for very sure they make for very good something else. But I don’t find them making very good, like comedians or musicians or poets. It’s like, you gotta, I think, I mean, come on, you got to have some pain and you know, it’s, they, they sh there are plenty other professions, but I, but I think there has to be some brokenness. That’s where it comes from. And I’m, I’m sticking with that. I’m sure. I’m sure there are artists who aren’t broken or have, you know, a lot, but I don’t know. I absolutely agree. I’m skeptical.
Brendan James (40:02):
I I’m totally on the same page with you. I mean, what that’s actually, most of my circle of friends are heartbroken, but awesome. You know, that’s just who I’m attracting.
David Waranch (40:13):
No, I think most, you know, it it’s in my kids are like, man, what’s wrong with all your friends? Like that’s who I’m attracted to. That’s who’s attracted to me. I don’t know what to say. You know, I, in some ways I am doing this and became a coach to sort of, I don’t want to say fix, but I’ve had, I had that. I went through the journey, you went through the, you know, I’m not done, but
Brendan James (40:36):
Who’s to say what the hell is broken or unbroken. It’s probably not the right word. Yeah, no, I’m, I’m guilty of using it too. Like I consider myself broken, but everybody’s broken by something. I mean,
David Waranch (40:49):
Yeah, well maybe, maybe the better way of saying people who have their shadow has been expressed and they’re learning how to deal with that, integrate that and so on and so forth. Do you read any particular types of, of like books or what, what inspires you besides staring at the, was any particular music books or is it just like you said, you just kind of have to wait.
Brendan James (41:16):
I read a lot. I’m not reading a lot these days, to be honest, I’m halfway through a book called the overstory, which is awesome. It’s basically a book about the power of trees and plant life, but it’s just a, just a beautiful book. But I’m not reading a lot right now. And I’m worried about that. When I was younger to become the artist I am and the person I am, I was reading all the time and I was living in New York city and writing subways and just reading the biggest books I could get my hands on. And to this day I feel like Emerson and do not. And I feel like I was reading burrito, echo, and I was reading Khalil Gibran is just, I have a tattoo of Kyla Gibran. The prophet is, was, it was a guiding kind of a touchstone in my life.
David Waranch (42:05):
I think when I was in 10th grade and we read Sidharth, that was like a, that was like the bat to the head. I was like, what the hell is this? That’s I think that was the point that I was like the first book that I was like, what is this? And it just opened up everything.
Brendan James (42:18):
Yeah. when things Paula fall apart, I love that book achievement. Anyway, I I’m just, I think when I, my children are a little bit older or something, I’m going to have my brains going to open up a bit, the taught the toddler age right now. I definitely don’t when it’s nine 30 at night, I’m not like, Ooh, can I crack open? No, no, no, no know like, Ugh, I need to work on my career actually now asleep. Yeah.
David Waranch (42:46):
Well, I want to let you go to your session. I don’t want to take up too much of your time and I appreciate it. This was very exciting when I knew that you were going to do this. I was not familiar now. I am very familiar. Now my family is familiar. I hope you guys come I’m in the Washington DC area. Hope you come through DC or Baltimore real soon. And it was a real pleasure.
Brendan James (43:11):
Thank you. I’m trying to book for the fall of 2021. If it can actually happen, I’ll pay it a great venue in Vienna, Virginia. That’d be like a 35 40 minute drive for you. But what am I, which one it’s called Jammin. Java. Yeah, of course. Okay. You know what? I played there for a decade and since Jeff’s head
David Waranch (43:33):
Cool, get jamming. I know it well. Cool. Yeah. There’s a lot of ones, but yeah, we will, we will be there. Let us know.
Brendan James (43:39):
And then we’ll do another outcome on the show again,
David Waranch (43:41):
Whenever you want. I would love it now. Yeah. It’s such a treat to too. And thank you for what you do. It’s very important music and you’re a great dad and a great husband.
Brendan James (43:53):
Pretty rare. Thanks man. I’m trying. I’m trying cool. I appreciate it.
David Waranch (43:59):
Well, good luck today with your with your session. I hope I hope the, the great unknown, the muse comes through. I’m feeling good today. I think surrender to the flow.
Brendan James (44:11):
See it’s, you know, it’s cliche, but those are
David Waranch (44:14):
No, I’m, I’m, I’m just joking, but it’s also true. Right?
Brendan James (44:17):
So it is, I’m going to walk up there and just take some deep breaths and hope it’s all right.
David Waranch (44:21):
Okay. All right. Well, have a great day in Charleston.
Brendan James (44:24):
Okay. I so appreciate it. Yeah. Thank you.