Songwriter Interview – Andy Branton – Big Time

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, singer songwriter Andy Branton shares what inspired him to write about the absurdity of life in the music industry with his new single, Big Time, and his creative process.

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I interviewed Andy Branton about his life and career, the inspiration behind his new single, Big Time, and what he loves about writing music.

Tell me a bit about who you are.

I am Andy Branton, a songwriter and country blues artist from Louisville, Kentucky. I cut my teeth playing guitar for other folks around West Central Alabama in my late teens and early twenties, collecting songs and stories along the way. Right before my wife and I moved to Louisville I stepped out from the sideman role and released my first record. A calico kitty adopted us a few months into living in our new city, and I got to work on writing tunes for a second record.

When did you first WANT to write music?

I guess I first wanted to write music as a little kid. My grandmother taught my brother and I to play piano, and we all wrote a tune together called “Bullfrog Blues” or something like that. My ability to play and write is a family trait. My uncle made a run at being a country songwriter during the cassette era and that energy permeated our family Christmases. 

When did you take a step to start writing music?

My first steps to start writing tunes on my own happened in junior high. I had just enough guitar chords under my fingers to string together some melodies in 4/4 time. I tried to write some simple folk songs, but they were so bad. The best parts were blatant rip offs of other tunes. I couldn’t sing well, and I couldn’t write melodies. I gave up after a month or two.

I ended up cramming a ton of close listening into the last couple of years of high school, discovering Guy Clark, Ryan Bingham, and Billy Joe Shaver. I inadvertently gave myself a masterclass on the types of songs I wanted to write.  When I moved off to college, armed with the past few years of songs in my head, I tried my hand at writing again. That time it went much better. 

What was your first piece of music released, and what inspired it?

The first tune I released was “Ain’t Seen Him (In a Long, Long Time) back in 2016. I wrote it as part of a senior level creative writing class taught by a great writer named Scott McWaters. I believe the assignment was to take a piece of literature and write something inspired by it. 

“Ain’t Seen Him (In a Long, Long Time) was inspired by the story of Cain and Abel in the Bible. After Cain kills his brother, God asks him where Abel is. Cain replies that he doesn’t know and asks, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” That phrase contains so much. In my mind, two drunk friends lying to the others’ wives have a very similar energy to Cain overexplaining about how he doesn’t know where his brother is.  

What was your latest music released, and what inspired it?

My latest tune out on streaming services is “Big Time.” I wrote “Big Time” with my wife, Cat Vining, and my best friend, Evan Ogden. My wife and I had just moved from Tuscaloosa, Alabama to Louisville, Kentucky. In fact, we had only been married a couple of months. Despite having very little money in our bank account and even less in our pockets, I had to go to New Orleans for an unpaid songwriters festival. I was feeling down about the whole thing. That was the birth of the first verse – that despair. 

I hit the road and met up in NOLA with some friends who were also playing the festival. One of those friends hadn’t booked a place to stay; so he ended up sleeping on the floor of my AirBnB. That made its way into the chorus along with the general angst Evan and I were feeling at the time. The second verse has elements taken from the drive down from Louisville to NOLA, the fast food trash and happy hour gigs that helped pay for gas. 

My guitar, a Gibson Hummingbird from 2011ish, has been repaired many times. I’ve cracked the top; I’ve broken the neck twice. As painful as it was each time, I was always amazed at how easy it was to have a really qualified luthier repair it. The final verse of the tune explores that thought and the wish that everything in life that can be fractured could be so easily glued back together. 

“Big Time” is my tongue-in-cheek ode to the real – and the absurd – of a life in music. 

Focusing on your latest piece of music. What were your biggest challenges with Big Time?

The biggest challenge with “Big Time” was the recording of it. I set out to record at home and play all the instruments on it myself: organ, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitars, bass, lap steel, etc. I wanted to learn more about how to record, but it was way too steep a learning curve for me. I was also limited by my ability to play. I’m a pretty dang good guitar player, but my bass, lap steel, and keyboard work leaves something to be desired.

Luckily, I know tons of really talented musicians and producers, including Shawn Byrne. Once it became clear that I wasn’t going to be able to finish the tune on my own, I sent it off to Shawn who took the good, cut the bad, and added his multi-instrument greatness to the track. He really worked magic with what I gave him. 

What are you working on right now?

Right now I am working on my next record Travelin’ Days. The masters are done. I’m so close to the finish line on this one! It’s better and longer than the last record. The incredibly talented Nathan Evans Fox produced it. He has an incredible ear. There are tunes on it written by and with Cat Vining, Evan Ogden, Megan Lea, Sonya Shows, Nathan Fox, and Eric Erdman. 

As a sideman, I’m working up some tunes for an Americana artist named Eric Lindquist. I’ll be playing guitar for his record release in October 2024 and hopefully more dates.

Do you keep to a theme with your music, or just go where the mood strikes?

When I write and play I typically go where the mood strikes, but what comes out is normally on some sort of theme. There is something mystical and beautiful about the material finding its theme without my active interference. 

What is your favourite piece of music you’ve recorded, and what do you love about it?

At the moment, it’s the title track “Travelin’ Days” off the next record. There are a few things I am really into about it. I love that it taps into a 1970’s country kind of thing. Nathan Fox also had me play a little percussive line on the guitar that literally drives the tune forward. There’s also a sweet bend towards the end of the chorus. It’s patient and perfect and angsty. 

Do you find other people’s music inspires you? Who do you listen to most?

God, yes. All sorts of music inspires me. Lately I have been listening to a ton of Summer Dean, Kayla Ray, Brennen Leigh, Robbie Fulks, and Jaime Wyatt.

Do you record and produce your own music, or pay musicians and producers?

I enlist those more talented than me to record, produce, and even play on my tunes. I really only write, sing, and play guitar. The latest record has Nathan Evans Fox producing and playing, Graciela Armendariz on background vocals, Stephen Daniel King on bass, and William Kissane on drums. 

What instruments do you play?

I play guitar, keys, bass, lap steel, pedal steel, and trumpet. I don’t necessarily play all of those instruments well. 

Do you like performing live, or does it scare you? Where can people watch you?

I love performing live, but I usually feel anxious on the drive to the gig. Once I get into the first song or two I’m normally fine.

If you want to see me live, I have dates coming up in Louisville, KY; Birmingham, AL; and Hattiesburg, MS. I’ve had an insanely busy 2024 where I played in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, South Caroline, and Mississippi, but things are winding down. You can always check out my gig schedule at https://andybranton.com, and even see live videos there!

Is your music available to the public, and where can people listen to it?

Yep! You can listen to my music on Spotify, Apple Music, and all those places.

Are you able to make music full time, or do you have day job?

I have multiple day jobs. I work for Johnson Controls’ Remote Operations Center on our cloud hosted building automation stuff. I also run Commonwealth Pro Audio, where I repair amplifiers, mixers, keyboards, and the like. 

Are your friends and family supportive of your music career?

Yep! My friends and family are supportive of my music career. My greatest champion is my wife, Cat Vining. She encourages me and pushes me to be better. 

What’s something you never expected about writing music ? What have you learned that surprised you?

I never expected to find it so hard to write with other people. So much of songwriting culture is about cowriting, but I have trouble with it. I’ve had some great cowrites, but I’ve also had some real bummer sessions. The issue is always me. I’m just not great at hopping on to someone else’s wavelength.

Have you had any experiences that really stand out because of your music?

I’ve had so many adventures and experiences because of my music. Far and above the best was meeting my wife at an open mic night in 2016. My life changed forever from the moment we saw each other. 

Do you have any important events coming up we should know about?

Yep! I’ll be playing guitar for Eric Lindquist’s record release party at the Monarch in Louisville on 10/24/24. I’ll be on a killer triple bill with LeAlan Carter and Megan Lea at the Woodlawn Theater in Birmingham, AL on 11/16/24. That will be an amazing show with two of Alabama’s finest songwriters.

What is the first piece of advice you would give to anyone inspired to write music?

Write it! If you have bad songs in you, they must come out to get to the good stuff. I have written so many bad tunes. They can’t all be bangers!

And, finally, are your proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?

I am very proud of what I’ve done so far, and I am excited about what lies ahead. Yes, it’s been worth the effort. I’ve created some dang fine art, and that’s enough.

Pop all your music, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:

https://andybranton.com/

www.instagram.com/brothaab/

https://www.facebook.com/andybrantonmusic/

www.youtube.com/user/TheBrothaAB

Andy Branton on Spotify

https://www.bandsintown.com/a/13126507-andy-branton