There’s a new addition to the Rhyder family and a brand new record waiting in the wings. Busy doesn’t even begin to cover it, but “Busy is good,” says East Texas native Brandon Rhyder. “I gotta keep moving and chunking coal on the fire.” That fire rages around the clock in the Rhyder home, where Brandon, his wife Kelli, and their two-year-old son Dusty recently welcomed the arrival of a baby girl named Mahala Grace. Then there’s the every day monitoring of the business they started seven years ago, when Brandon released the first of what will soon be five records to his credit. “I feel like the luckiest man in the world. I have a beautiful family and a growing fan base. I have an incredible band and we keep getting to make new records. We have a great team from top to bottom. Sometimes I wonder how I’m lucky enough to have my cake and eat it too.”
Since his third record, Conviction, came out in August of 2005, Brandon’s stock has continued to rise as a mainstay in the Texas music scene. Says Bob Cole of KVET (Austin), “In the flood of Texas Music talent, Brandon is in the rarified air of the top 1%. He’s real. Genuine. Natural. Sincere.” As Brandon has grown more and more comfortable in his own skin as an artist and entertainer, he relishes the opportunity to grow day in and day out. This constant evolution is what keeps his fans coming back for more.
“Music is all about communication” says Brandon. “The more I learn the more I can continue to say things in a different way than I have before. I really strive to think outside of the box but yet not complicate it to a point where no one knows what the hell I’m talking about. I think one of the main reasons for our success is that people can relate to the material. That is paramount.”
The quality of Brandon’s material recently led to a publishing deal with Harlan Howard Publishing in Nashville. Also in the last year, Brandon moved his booking to Buddy Lee Attractions in Nashville and released his fourth record titled Live on Apex Records, also based out of Nashville. “I have always said that Nashville is where the store’s at and that as the business grows we will have more opportunities to work with more prominent players in the game,” Brandon says of Music City. “I relish the chance to be heard and seen on more of a national level and will do as much as I possibly can to get that chance.” That being said, Brandon says he has no intention of leaving his home base in Austin, Texas. “This is home. This is where I’m going to raise my family. My music is a product of my time here in Austin and East Texas. Some in Nashville don’t consider my music ‘mainstream’ and so we call this ‘ourstream.’ I’ll swim this river till I die.”
That “river” is rolling along quite fine as Brandon approaches the release of his fifth record titled Every Night. The album is produced by Radney Foster who says of Brandon, “It is rare that you meet someone with such lyrical talents who didn’t begin writing at an early age, and it is even rarer to hear someone deliver those songs with such vocal power and passion.” The forthcoming compilation of songs, each one written or co-written by Brandon, is a testament to why people are drawn to his music. Each song is its own book, and that makes for an interesting listen; you never know what direction he’s going to take you. Musically, stylistically, and poetically, Brandon is an expert storyteller with a well-stocked arsenal of great lyrics and great hooks.
From the opening fade-in track titled “Have I Waited Too Long,” Brandon’s unique vocals and incredible range set the tone for the entire album. Every Night is a deeply personal album for Brandon, with tracks like “Fingers to the Bone,” which pays homage to his dad who battled and survived cancer this past year; “Happy Ever After,” a song about love worth fighting for which Brandon wrote for his wife; “Old Red Door,” about nights in Nashville with friends at their favorite bar; and especially on the hidden track called “Pea-Pie,” written for his brand new baby girl Mahala. Brandon allows listeners a glimpse into his poet’s soul. Highlights of the album also include the Foster co-writes “When You Wake Up” and “Let’s Don’t Go Down That Road” which is, in Brandon’s words, “Classic Charlie Rich circa 1970.” The lead single, “This Ain’t It,” co-written with the acclaimed Liz Rose, followed by “Again,” both showcase his ability and versatility. Track five, “She Couldn’t Lie Anymore,” is a rocking play on words, and has been a crowd favorite at live shows. The drum driven, late night written, candle burning out, I will always wait for you song “What I Do,” the purely sexy title track “Every Night” and the epic “A Cowboy’s Work”, round out the album.
For a man who has played over 200 shows a year for three years running, Every Night may be the perfect album title. “It’s a steamy sultry love song about making more love,” Brandon explains, “but the reason the disc is titled as such comes from a different place. Playing as many dates as we do, it would be easy to take some nights ‘off’ and not give the crowd the bang for the buck they showed up and paid good money for,” Rhyder says. “In the band, this is our motto and our mojo: we bring it ‘Every Night.’ Rain or shine, sold out or not, we play music because it is our calling. It’s much more than a job. It’s our passion and at the end of the night I want the people to leave that two-hour detour in life and simply say, ‘I believe every word he said in there.’”
Hey there! Nice work. My neighbors Kathy Welborn and trent have told me so much about you. Just wanted to add you and tell you keep up the nice work. My dream would be to be in your shoes, but i guess it was not meant to be for me. Im doing the family life thing. I'm in awe though to you and others living out ya'lls dreams. Congrats on the career. Catherine S.
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Awesome show in Linden!!! My first BR show, but def not my last! Amazing tunes, but whats even more amazing, to me, are the guys behind the music! Just a bunch of "Good ol' Boys!" You guys TRULY are blessed! (I'd give my eye-tooth to be able to write and play as well as you, Brandon!)
Brandon, have a great show tonight..you need my gals ShutDownTown there to open for ya..they are great...they opened for Mike McClure last weekend at Sam's Place in Wichita KS...
As always the show last night was awesome - thank you sooo much for playing Walking Shoes for me!!! We're looking forward to the new album, and we'll see you next time your in Houston.
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