Today we’d like to introduce you to Brendan Lane.
Hi Brendan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My father is a phenomenal jazz musician who was constantly playing gigs and having rehearsals in the house. Musicians were coming and going, and I was there to take It all in. When he wasn’t gigging, my father would play a wide variety of records ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Stevie Wonder, to The Beatles, to Tupac. I took to music, and my parents, both school teachers, started me in music classes at the age of three. I got older, discovered the guitar and Rock’n’Roll, and that was It for me; I spent the next ten years of my life learning anything that sounded interesting to me, anything that made me move in my seat. I went to college in Washington, D.C., determined to follow my life’s passion for music. I jumped into working in the live venue industry, which solidified an already passionate love of entertaining people on stage. All this led me to my first official post-grad job, performing music on cruise ships. A beautiful opportunity to do what I loved every day for months at a time (the beaches and parties at 22 years old weren’t too bad either). Five years and a global pandemic later, I continue perform on ships in the winter and tour around land as often as I can. Most recently, I performed this past November at Texafied JamFest in Sulphur Springs, TX where two significant tornadoes ripped through less than a mile from the festival grounds and decimated the town just north of us. We all had to shelter in place, some 200 people, before we got the all-clear. Then we danced in the mud til 3 am. It has been a fantastic trip thus far; I’m doing my absolute best to take every day as it comes and to enjoy the little moments along the way, wherever I’m going. I am excited to release new original music I made with my friends in 2023.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have always been people who shake their head when I look them in the eye and tell them how I earn a living. That can really break some kids when they’re 16, 17, 18 years old. You’re already confused as hell at that age and don’t know the first thing about where your life is gonna lead, and then you have these negative “adults” telling you your dreams won’t work? I once had an A&R rep from a major label look me in the eyes and tell me I probably should leave this as a hobby. That’s brutal! I mean, I flew all the way to Nashville to meet with this dude and some other industry folks, and he tells me that! I respect the honesty, but man, that can really rock your world and make you turn the page. I could not tell you why, but there has never been a doubt in my mind about my life and making music. Maybe all those negative people along the way have given me a chip on my shoulder because I’ll be honest if there’s a particular night where I’m feeling on top of the world and really get the crowd rocking, I think of that A&R rep and thank him for fueling the fire.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I play guitar, harmonica, and I sing/write songs about love, loss, and adventure. If Bruce Springsteen’s music and Jack Johnson’s music had a child, I believe that child would sound a lot like my music. The use of bluesy, rollicking harmonica riffs and groovy, driving rhythms separate my music from several other young lads who play the guitar and sing songs. I am most proud of the variety of songs I have written. Heavy riff rock to blues to acoustic to even hip hop, it’s all been different. I strive to ensure it all sounds original. I am a unique person in my taste, perspective, and education; I believe my music reflects this.
What matters most to you? Why?
My family is the most important thing. It’s all I was given when I arrived here, and if I’m lucky, it’ll be all I need and have when it’s my time to go.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brendanlanemusic.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/brendan_lane
- Facebook: facebook.com/brendanlanemusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/brendanlane2
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxQM9f2eSNjSq1YNqdWqrWA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/brendanlane_music
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/29vaMfq8NtObvt2Cze70G4?si=ZE_o7tNVTFKB20Arg9Mr0g
Image Credits
Cassandra Latyak
David Shofer
Lydia Barry
