TCM sits down with Brandon Rhyder

This past Friday, Texas artist Brandon Rhyder spent most of his day in College Station promoting his new record, Head Above Water, with an on-air interview at 98.3 KORA and an in-store performance at Hastings. Then he ended the night with a live/full-band performance at Hurricane Harry's.

I had the chance to sit down with Brandon before he played at Harry's to talk about his new album, feelings about the future and more--

(playing songs off the new album in-store at Hastings)

"The thing about Head Above Water is that it's not a book with 13 chapters, it's a collection of 13 completely separate books," Rhyder said. "I try not to write for a specific genre, so you've got songs like 'Rock Angel' and then ones like 'Ultimate Deceiver' put together on one record."

After playing a few off the new album at Hastings, Rhyder told the crowd that growing up his mother would tell him to really listen to what the songs on the radio were saying to him. He said that is how he wants his music to be--not categorized for the way it sounds, but appreciated for what every song specifically says to each listener.

This is the 6th album the singer/songwriter has put out since 2001 and second on the Reserve Records label. While working to put Head Above Water together, Rhyder said there were signs that something was different about this one.

"I've done the order for all six of my records, and I don't know how but, when working on this one, I knew very early on what the order was going to be," he said. "Each song has its own venue, so to speak. I knew 'Rock Angel' was going to be the first off the record and the first single; it just made perfect sense."

After spending a lot of time in Nashville with a publishing deal during 2007 and 2008, Rhyder said he was ready to come home to Texas. He missed his family, but had made a goal at the beginning of 2009 to put out another album.

"I knew I wanted to record another record, I wanted to do it close to home, I wanted to use my band, and I wanted Walt Wilkins to do it--all of these things came together really quickly," he said.

The process of making Head Above Water (which is also documented on a DVD that comes with the record) started in June of 2009 and within three weeks the album was complete. Rhyder said it is by far his favorite one yet, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that he wrote every single song on this album by himself--making it more personal and kind of a "statement record" for him.

He also called it the most up-tempo and upbeat record he has ever put out--especially the hidden track at the end, "Queen of My Roost," which showcases Rhyder's love for the 20s, 30s and 40s big band music.


(Brandon and I after the Hastings performance)

Referring to his own music as "different," Rhyder said it has been interesting to be called a "veteran" of the scene and really wants to try to be more of a voice for the artist as he moves forward in his career.

"I am really upset with music right now and where it's at," he said. "I feel like we're strangling the life out of the creativity of music. And not just country, it's music across the board. Each genre seems to have created a box for music to fit in and if the music doesn't fit in that box then it can't be popular. That's not true at all; there are a ton of really talented artists that have a lot to say, but don't fit in the box. So, I'd really like to be a voice for the artist and help get more of them heard."

Supporting and promoting upcoming Texas talent like Bobby Duncan and Clayton Gardner (who opened for Rhyder at Harry's on Friday) is his hope to help get this music heard--the kind that doesn't fit into a specific box.

"We write with depth, and while that may still have tenacity to it, it's not, for the lack of a better term, a 'beer and titties' setup," Rhyder said. "There's room for it [how we write] and we see that. I mean, we're packing houses every night, getting to do what we do and say what we say. So, all of these guys, the Bobby's and the Clayton's, that's something that is important to them also, and I obviously want to be a part of helping to spread their message."

(Clayton Gardner opening for Brandon at Hurricane Harry's on Friday)

It is evident when listening to Rhyder's albums that he is a huge advocate for the music and quite an amazing and powerful songwriter. After talking with him at Hastings, I was able to go to Harry's and watch the show as well, and let me just say that it was one of the best I've seen from him.

New and old hits, like "Freeze Frame Time," "Before I Knew Your Name" and "Let the Good Times Roll," came blaring out of the speakers for what I personally thought was the largest crowd this band has ever seen at Hurricane Harry's and the most excited. People were singing along, dancing and raising their drinks in the air to salute this musical wonder.

"To all the fans out there, thank you for allowing us to do what we do," Rhyder humbly said at the end of our interview. "That's something I say at the end of every show, because this is a grassroots effort and without the fans going out and telling their friends, neighbors or co-workers, we wouldn't be able to stand on that stage every single night."

Be sure to check out Rhyder's tour schedule to keep up with when he will be coming to a town near you, and pick up a copy of Head Above Water.

For more information on Bobby Duncan and Clayton Gardner fan their Facebook pages to keep track of their latest updates.

Stay tuned next week as I report from the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo--

peace, love & texas music!

betsy