nick drake, neil young, elliott smith, richard thompson, tom petty, loudon wainwright III, awesomeness, bob dylan, gary jules, iron & wine, jeff buckley, ray lamontagne... or so I've been told.
I was born and raised about 30 miles south of Philadelphia, in a little State called Delaware. My father went to the other side when I was 7 yrs old, leaving my mother to raise me alone. She managed to play both parental roles, and instilled in me a tender balance of strength, and sensitivity. She taught me how to put my thoughts in to written word, which came in handy for dealing with the pain of losing my father.
When I was a teenager, my older brother left me his vinyl collection and a turntable. This led to many reclusive nights in the basement spinning Harvest, Who’s Next, Bridge Over Troubled Water… It was at this point that I discovered exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to make records.
So, come Christmas ’94, my mother and brother pooled together and got me my first guitar, a black Washburn acoustic. I spent day and night teaching myself chords, and it wasn’t long before I was writing songs in the basement. I started a band and spent most of my adolescence obsessing over band practice and gigs, meanwhile neglecting my homework.
As I got older, I developed a strong relationship with my uncle Will who resided in Nashville. He was a songwriter as well, and turned my ear to Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, and a slew of old SUN recordings. As a result, my writing began to improve and my musical horizons broadened.
In 2001 I went broke by investing in a bunch of recording gear, and taught myself the craft. I slowly built up a reputation in the area, and consequently spent the next 6 years recording/producing over 30 different artists of ALL genres. Talk about expanding, I was exposed to, and even producing music I knew nothing about, including hip-hop, hardcore, children’s…
In 2004, I traveled back and forth from Delaware to Nashville to make a record with my uncle Will, which ended up receiving critical acclaim and steady rotation on European National Public Radio.
In late 2006 I decided to follow his footsteps and move to Nashville myself, which is where I currently reside.
About “Necessary Lies”
In between long recording sessions making records with other artists, I was chipping away at this one. I think it’s evident that it comes from many places. For me, this album culminates my experiences of heartache and loneliness, my disgust with the current political landscape, and all the human deception that makes life so damn fragile.
I played a good amount of the instruments, and brought in friends to fill in the gaps and provide a fresh perspective. The entire recording process spanned about 2 years, with a hiatus or two, and a number of rewrites, re-recordings, relapse, etc…
3/17/08: Hi everyone. We (the band and I) are closing in on the final stages of a new EP! I speak for all of us when I say that we’re VERY excited about it’s release. These songs and the production of this new project are a true "turn of the page" for me, and I’m loving the energy and spirit we’ve coaxed.
Amidst many long (but fun) days in the studio, we’re busy planning shows, promotion, etc... With that said, I will try really hard to reply to all messages/comments. If I miss you this time, it’s not because I don’t love you anymore, so please don’t stop sending them!
If you’re interested in helping us spread the word, feel free to grab one of the banners below and post them on your page. It goes a long way and I truly appreciate you doing it :-)
***Request BRS on XM, very easily! Click here xmu@xmradio.com
Some Fun Facts:
• 2 BRS Songs ("Yet Again, and "Face to Face") topped the charts on Neil Young’s LIVING WITH WAR TODAY website, holding the 1 & 2 position for nearly a month.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT "NECESSARY LIES":
• "Stewart composes classic pop songs that are timeless and surprisingly mature. And the man’s voice has to be heard to be believed...what a voice!" –LMNOP/Babysue.com
• "While the guitar playing is subtle and the vocals are hypnotic, there’s something about the songs that demand your attention." -Mite Mutant (thechickenfishspeaks.com)
Hey, in case I haven't told you lately, I so LUV your music, it always destresses me! I was running like a crazy woman today, newspapers, Hastings, Posters, etc, trying to finish up some details for the Matt concert here. Was all stressed out, jumped in my car for the 26 mile trip back home and cranked you up! And I have to admit, was in a much better frame of mind when I pulled in! Thanks "B", for all you do... I'll be talking to you soon about the band thing you need help with. Be done with the Matt project after Sept. 8th....Have a great weekend, keep smiling, and keep the music flowing from the heart!
Yeah, I think I heard that before, "I SWEAR"! Expert, it's more like you Rock, I Roll, and management, I have trouble controlling myself! haha I'll get back to you when this is all said and done and see what you need done. Did you ever decide on a name? Talk to you soon...
HONESTLY, you are still on my TO DO LIST! Working on a project for Matt Palka right now. He is coming to O'Town, Sept 7th and didn't know it till the last day of my vacation! So am working like crazy to get a Farm Concert together, a book signing, and an interview with the paper. So when I get through this, you will be the next project, I PROMISE! So.... how are things in your world? ;) Have a great week, will talk to you soon. Luvs, Me ;)
Hey "B", Thanks, you always make me smile ;) Things are better on the home front, but thanks for the kind words and I will pass it. I will be back on the 12th, having a great time out here. So much to see and do. Oh, glad you took a listen to the Paperboys, I think they have a great sound. Going to see them on the 16th when I get back... YEAH! I'll get on the project then too... Take care and have a good week, keep smiling, and keep the music flowing from your heart! Luvs, Me ;)
Hey Buddy, Ok so I have a been a really BAD friend lately! Sorry, some pretty intense stuff going on here, hope to get back to my projects in the next couple weeks. You are still on my LIST! No not the shit list...hahaha Anyway, hope all is going well on your end. Have a great week... talk at you soon.
Hey "BRS", how are things in your spot of the world? Been so busy, haven't been on much... But I will get to that little project I said I would do... I hope this next week. Have a Safe and Happy 4th... I'll be in touch... Luvs, Me ;)
Tomorrow, July 4th, I'm being featured at the "Featured Artist of the Day" MySpace site. If you have some time, please stop by and say "hi" to Jeanne. She runs this wonderful site which would be great for your music.
hey brett thanks for letting me photograph you guys. I had a great time! The photos are looking really great and hopefully will have something to show you guys soon. Talk soon
Hey "B", WOW, what a video! Made me watch it 3 times, and then say hmmmmmm! The new PIC looks way more serious than I know you to be... but LUV it! Hope things are going well... I will let you know when I get the street team page up on facebook. Just been a crazy week for me. Hope to get it up and running this weekend. Have a good one and talk to you soon. Luvs, Me ;)
Thank you so much for the cd! Ben brought the package in for me while I was still in bed. I rolled over and popped it into my stereo. Stayed in bed for all 10 tracks. I love it! I love some songs a lot more than others, but all in all it's a great cd.
Hey no worries, its a very good song:)thankyou for writing and singing it! Hope to see you in the UK soon, thanks for the comment and keep up the good work:)
