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We’re happy to welcome to our ever-humble pages acclaimed singer-songwriter Brett Landin; greetings and salutations, Brett! Before we meander down the proverbial Q&A musical pathway, how goes your 2023 thus far?
Hello! Hello! So happy to be here with y’all and am feeling so grateful to be featured in VENTS! 2023 has been action-packed in the absolute best way possible. I am finishing up college at University of Southern California and have just begun playing live shows in January, so it has definitely been a juggling act but I wouldn’t want it any other way. 2023 has been full of immense blessings and I am excited to welcome whatever 2023 has in store for me!
Congratulations on your debut single Small Town Girl which is out today! What was the genesis of this gem of a tune? How did it come into being?
Small Town Girl’s genesis was really by happenstance and ultimately was the kick-start to my entire music journey. I was introduced to Christopher Harris, one of the writers on Small Town Girl (along with Paul Overstreet and Steve Thomas), when I was in Nashville for an initial introduction to the music world. I was there to merely practice singing into headphones and into a microphone and really to just explore what it meant to make music more seriously than singing in the shower. Ultimately, in my singing of Small Town Girl, Chris and his team decided they wanted me to sing Small Town Girl which was a shock to me that these Grammy-award winning songwriters would want me to be the voice of their music. So here we are. While it is the only song that I haven’t written, it was the catalyst of this entire process and I hold the entire process leading up to even recording very close to my heart.
Who was your producer on Small Town Girl and what did that collaboration between artist and producer look like in the studio?
Christopher Harris is my producer and one of the writers of Small Town Girl. He is an incredible producer and has such a way with direction and perspective when it comes to music and the little “easter eggs” that make songs special. Small Town Girl was the first song I had ever recorded, and with that came a whole lot of nerves on my end. He was so patient and so kind in his guidance throughout the entire process. I think our relationship lent itself to an easy collaboration process, especially in the cultivation of the sound of Small Town Girl, especially in its harmony with the rest of the record we would be recording later. I really want the songs I sing (and write) to feel raw and real, and he really brought those sentiments I carry to life in the production of the song. I truly feel so blessed for him and wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to be the producer on this track (and the rest of the record).
Can you introduce our ever-inquisitive readers to some of the very talented musicians that lent their musical alchemy to making Small Town Girl into a reality?
The talent that brought Small Town Girl to life is absolutely astounding, from writers, to session players to engineers! I mean Christopher Harris (Willie Nelson, Little Big Town, Loretta Lynn, Amy Grant, Stevie Ray Vaughn and more) and Paul Overstreet (Carrie Underwood, Randy Travis, Kenny Chesney, The Judds, Blake Shelton and more) are the writers on this track and as prolific in the country music space as you can get! I am truly honored to be the voice of their song and am so excited for y’all to hear it!
In your humble opinion, what differentiates Small Town Girl from the Distinguished Competition on the 2023 music scene?
I think that Small Town Girl really embodies the story of a phase of life and relationship dynamic that is not reflected in today’s music. It tells the story of a couple who must part ways, not because of any trauma, toxicity, or betrayal- but instead because one person wants to chase their dreams and those dreams exist outside of their shared reality. I think so much of the music occupying country-pop are holding space for the darker dynamics and hurt that comes in relationships, for sure. The grief that comes with those types of endings. Small Town Girl is not that narrative. When I first heard the song, I had been in a relationship that was ending for a reason that was outside of the love and care we felt for each other. Our paths were just taking us to different places. Those endings hurt; I think, more than the endings that erupt into flames. The ones that end not because someone did anything wrong, but that end because you want your partner to do things right and sometimes the right things for your partner, inherently hurt you. That’s why I think Small Town Girl is different. It’s a song of this new story and I am so excited for everyone to hear it.
Word ‘round industry campfire has it that hot on the heels of the release of Small Town Girl fans can also look forward to a 2023 EP from you! What can you tell us about the EP at this point?
I can confirm that an EP is coming later this year, which is still so surreal to me! At this time, what I can share about the upcoming EP, is that it is the vault of my heartbreaks and heartbeats of my loves and losses. The EP really captures experiences that I think are often universal in your 20’s, but that music has yet to really capture. I needed to capture it for myself to heal through my experiences, and I am hoping that by releasing the EP- it allows for others to do the same.
With the release of Small Town Girl, can fans look forward to seeing you on the performing/touring circuit in the weeks and months to come?
I just played The Troubadour and am truly so honored to have had the opportunity to play music in such a beautiful space that has housed some of the world’s most influential artists. I am also headlining at Hotel Café on May 11th at 9pm in Los Angeles. It is my first headlining show and is my farewell to L.A. for a bit! I am hopeful that over the summer I will be playing more shows back in the South (I am honestly manifesting I can open for a banging female country artist soon)!
Who inspires you musically?
I think that right now in my life I would say that Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Lainey Wilson and Kelsea Ballerini are my inspirations. They’re raw storytellers and I love that. There isn’t a sense that they are tiptoeing around the tough topics, the truth of tough situations. I want to be able to impact people like that and share with them songs that give their situation a voice and make them feel seen. I think women in music, specifically country music, are often boxed into what is expected, but these women say to hell with that! I think that for me, I want to throw out conventions of country music and give people something to hold onto through the ups and downs of life.
You hail from the beautiful city of Dallas, Texas! How do those roots inform you as a person and a musician?
Country music and country roots are heavily woven into the fiber of my being, and I would say was the soundtrack of my childhood (along with classic Rock and Roll, of course.) Name a Toby Keith or Garth Brooks song, I’m there! Despite being from Dallas, I spent a ton of time in Windthorst, TX where my family’s ranch is. Tiny town, population 450 people, and nothing but land and the most precious General Store. I think the country essence I carry within me, and my music was shaped in those sweaty memories of my childhood being out with my family on our ranch; however, I cannot and will never deny the fact I spent most of my time in Dallas which is a big city. I think being from a city like Dallas provides a spicier element to my music, an edgier tone, that I love, and I think adds an element to my sound and personality on stage. The songs that aren’t trying to be pretty, they’re just me and my truth.
At the end of the day what do you hope listeners walk away with after giving Small Town Girl copious spins on their respective turn-tables?
I think at the end of the day, I want my listeners to walk away with a song that (though is a breakup song) is more an empowerment song about owning who you are and where you’re from. I think being “small town” is more than just the place, and is more about what you value, who you love, and what you prioritize. I want my listeners to this song to channel their own main character energy and remind them that sometimes the puzzle pieces of relationships don’t fit, but that doesn’t mean that your piece is faulty. They’re losing out on you, not the other way around!
You also have a love for acting. Would you one day like to find a role in film or television in which you could incorporate your music?
A DREAM! Yes! I would absolutely love to be cast in a role where I could incorporate music in any capacity. I truly believe that music and acting are both extremely raw versions of storytelling and when paired together, on screen or on stage, is breathtaking. To have the opportunity to combine such beautiful forms of art and to share that with others is an experience I am hoping presents itself at some point!
Final – SILLY! – Question: Favorite movie about the music scene – The Buddy Holly Story, Almost Famous, Walk the Line or The Thing Called Love?
I am going to have to say The Thing Called Love hands down!
