Meet Brayton Bowman of BIG DEB in Beverlywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brayton Bowman.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Brayton. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Woof. It’s been quite a bumpy ride, to say the least. LA is honestly the first place I’ve settled down since leaving home. I went to the Philadelphia High School for Creative & Performing Arts and I’d jokingly refer to myself as a “musical gypsy” in the first couple of years post-graduation. I went to this really over-priced jazz school in Boston for two years called Berklee. That was cute. I dropped out of college (sorry mom) and moved to 160th and Broadway because I’d already started skipping class to work with my producer Drew that lived in Harlem. I somehow wound up in East London after that? It’s a long story… come to one of my shows, lol.

BUT, eventually, I packed up all my shit into some suitcases and moved in with a girl I met on Twitter in mid-city. That 11-hour flight from Gatwick to LAX was honestly one of the scariest moments of my life. I knew there was no going back and damn it if I wasn’t right. Fast forward through a lot of heartaches. A lot of paperwork. A record deal. A dilapidated mansion in Beverly Hills where I arguably blew half of my advance. I’M STILL FUCKIN HERE. I don’t know where “here” is exactly… but I’m still there. Here. I guess LA is home. Shit.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair… But all the time I’ve been a-climbin on… still goin’, honey… still climbin…”

Langston Hughes said it better than I ever could and I had a book of his poems next to me. It was easier than trying to put it into words myself.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about BIG DEB – what should we know?
My company is called BIG DEB INC.

It’s a record label that I started and named after my Aunt Debbi. Everyone called her Big Deb. I’m a singer, songwriter & vocal producer by trade. I guess I’m supposed to technically call myself a recording artist? That feels too flowery.

I’m proud of owning a company that I am wholeheartedly in charge of. I think the thing that sets me apart is my “brand” of honesty if I can be so bold as to call it that. Someone recently referred to my next project as “radically transparent…” and I really liked that. I think that’s what I’d like to be known for ultimately. Kinda has a ring to it, doesn’t it? Lol.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My high school choir teacher: Dorina Morrow

The first voice teacher that ever knew what to do with me & taught me how to use my vocal chords: Tituss Burgess.

Joanna Levesque: I wouldn’t be here without you.

This is like that credit list that rolls after the movie that is SO CRUCIAL… but I can’t even begin to describe how many people have helped me get here. It truly takes an army… these are just some of them: my mom, Parson James, Zev Perilman, Keith Naftaly, Drew OfThe Drew, MNEK, Tre Jean-Marie, Ryan Ashley, Yvette Schure, every blogger and writer that’s ever supported me & sorry, I’ve turned this into a literal acceptance speech, but MY FUCKIN FANS KEEP ME BREATHING AND GIVE ME A REASON TO KEEP PUSHING ON MY DARKEST DAYS.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.braytonbowman.com
• Instagram: @braytonbowman
• Twitter: @braytonbowman

Image Credit:
Jamie Rosenberg, Lauren Desberg

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