Being part of a band and performing as a solo musician are two very different actions. The comfort of being on stage with a bunch of buddies is stripped away when it is just you, your guitar, and voice out in front of a crowd. There is nowhere to hide and you must provide a complete show when all the focus is on you. Our new find Jason Andrew Brown has recently taken this journey and is making the most of it.
The singer-songwriter from Indianapolis, Indiana was a successful frontman of bands for 20 years, including 10 years touring with the rock band Push Down & Turn. They crisscrossed the U.S. playing clubs, festivals and colleges and supporting high profile bands like Counting Crows, Bush, Widespread Panic and The Bodeans. Years of heavy 6-7 night per week touring made Jason Andrew Brown a seasoned performer, but eventually he felt compelled to leave the comfort zone of the band to try a new musical direction.
With just his voice and guitar, Jason started a new journey as a singer-songwriter in the pop, rock, and Americana genre. “Performing solo is an entirely different discipline from fronting a band,” Jason says. “when it’s up to just one person to make all the music and give a compelling show, things like vocal dynamics, well-crafted lyrics, and storytelling become the key differentiators of pros from amateurs”.
Jason Andrew Brown Is Definitely A Pro
The result of this growth is the self-titled Jason Andrew Brown EP released in early February of 2017. The 5 song record fully displays his ability and maturity as a vocalist, lyricist, guitarist, and composer. The opener “Shine Sun Shine” starts the album off with a happy feeling rocker leaning on Jason’s roots.
A dark and more introspective theme is covered on “Stranger” where he tries to settle an argument between his present and former selves. The creeping melody works well with Jason’s seasoned voice staying slightly behind the beat. On “Emptiness Is Forever” the echoing vocal effect adds to the minimalistic acoustic guitar tone as the lyrics eulogize an old friend who tragically took his own life.
The EP closes with “Icarus”, a hypnotic ballad as a tribute to the infamous ‘falling man’ photographed on the horrible day that was 9/11. Jason Andrew Brown shows his songwriting depth by tackling a tough subject and putting himself inside the head of a man forced to make an impossible decision. This is the sign of a songwriter that has the experience and skill to create something great out of something that wasn’t.
I, for one, am very excited to see Jason Andrew Brown continue this journey and share more intimate songs to take me on a journey of my own. Enjoy it for yourself on his WEBSITE and follow this ever growing star.
