Brandon Heath Interview

Who Is Brandon Heath?
Brandon Heath, the reigning Dove Award New Artist of the Year, had a slow build with his debut album on Essential Records - Don’t Get Comfortable.  However, that album went on to feature the hit songs “I’m Not Who I Was” and “Don’t Get Comfortable”.  Brandon is now releasing his sophomore national release with Essential Records - What If We.

KEY:
C> Chris
B> Brandon Heath

C>  I never like to start off with the superficial and typical questions - but I’m going to anyway - just because that’s the way I’m feeling right now.  So, let’s talk about the new album.

B>  Right, the new album.  Well - the new album is called What If We.  I was having a conversation with someone regarding what I should title the new album - it was a good friend of mine.  We were talking about how all great ideas, or at least most of them, start with the phrase “what if we…”  “What if…” sometimes is viewed as negative sometimes.  However, “What if we…” is together.  What can we do collectively?  So, that was the best title that I could come up with for this record.  There is no one song titled “What If We” - and the phrase isn’t used anywhere in any of the songs.  There’s really no reference to the phrase - even though I really feel like all of the songs have that central idea of “what can we do together…”

The first single off the record is called “Give Me Your Eyes”.  It was written with Jason Ingram.  I spend a lot of time in airports and doing a lot of people watching.  I see a lot of different people just sitting around in the background.  You can always pretty much get a judgement of a person within a few seconds, you know?  That is - if you wanted to.  It’s probably not an accurate judgement, but I think that’s what I typically fall into a lot of times - if I see people of other races, other sizes, some people are handicapped.  We all kind of make this basic assessment and then we go on with our day.  Sometimes we don’t realize what those other stories are in those people.  They may be hurting, they may be in need.  They could be somebody who would be one of your best friends for life but you’ll never get to meet them.  I kind of sit there wishing that I had God’s eyes - just to be able to look on with compassion.  I think the longer that I know Christ, the less that that moments of uncomfortable judgement will last.  That longer you know Him, the more you see people with love.  “Love thy neighbor…”  You know, that’s basically what the first single is about.

This new record really isn’t similar to my last record, although I kind of wanted it to be.  However, as we got into the studio, it kind of took on characteristics and a life of what I’ve been living out over the last couple of years.  Especially with being a new artist - realizing that I do have a platform to say something.  If anything, I want to say something more important than “myself”.  So, I spent a lot of time writing - and wrote 45 songs for this record.  Everyday I spent writing - but I had about 3 months to get it all together.  Some songs I also brought in from my older catalog - but it kind of took on the sound that really worked for my last record.  “I’m Not Who I Was” was the big hit off that record - which was kind of a country meets hip hop sound.  So, we harnessed that a little bit.  You’ll hear a little bit of that.  There’s a song called “London” - which has a very British influence to it.  There’s a song called “Listen Up” that has a real Imogean Heap feel to it.  Then there’s “Sunrise” - that has a real Chris Isaac feel to it.  I was watching a lot of westerns over the fall - so that may have had something to do with it.  So, I wanted some of that western guitar sound.  But man, there’s just all kinds of sounds to be found on the new record.  I think they all fit together really well.

C>  I know you’re probably getting a lot of questions about “I’m Not Who I Was”.  But, I don’t really want to know about that song.  I want to hear about the story behind “Don’t Get Comfortable” from your last album.

B>  OK!  Um, I grew up in Nashville, and I lived in, I guess it would be considered a better area of Nashville.  So, I never had even been to an area called East Nashville.  I had never even driven over there.  It’s across the bridge - so literally on the other side of the river.  You know, you see it on the news as it being a really high crime area.  A roommate of mine thought we should move over there - and just live among people who are different than we are.  Honestly, the houses were just cheaper over there - so he was going to buy the house, and I was going to rent from him.  So, we moved over there - and it was really the first time that I had ever stepped out of what people like to call the “comfort zone”.  I had my Starbucks, my shopping mall, and everything else I needed over there in Green Hills.  Moving over to East Nashville was convenient.  It wasn’t comfortable.  But, I learned quickly that a lot of times you learn when you are in uncomfortable situations.  For me, I’m in a place where I want to learn.  I want God to teach me who I am and what He wants to use me for.  I believe He’s given us a new song - so if it’s a new song - it probably sounds nothing like our old song.  So, if we’re gonna have this new song, we need to be open to new things - and literally be open to the things that God is calling us to do.  So, that was the first step for me - going to East Nashville.  That, and getting the opportunity to go over seas and see poverty first hand - what real poverty looks like.  So, that’s where “Don’t Get Comfortable” comes from.

C>  So, I was told I have two minutes left, so I have two more questions for you!

B>  Cool.  Shoot.

C>  So, kind of what has been resonating with every artist and business person this year has been about the collapse of the current business model of the music industry.  Where do you see yourself fitting into that equation?

B>  Excellent question.  Well, I was just talking about this this morning - actually I think we talk about it everyday at this point.  You know, I think it’s our responsibility to be optimistic.  We can look at it in a lot of different ways - you know - maybe we’re being taken advantage of?  You know - the reality is I’m ok.  My music takes care of me - and I can live off of what I’m making just by doing what I’ve been doing all of these years.  But, what’s encouraging in these times is that people who want to be in music - ARE in music.  And, they’re passionate about it.  It’s not a place anymore where you can just make a ton of money.  So, the motives of people in the music industry are really being weeded out a little bit.  We’re being humbled - and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  I don’t think it excuses the fact that people are stealing music - and I’m not here to condemn anyone who does do that.  I think for me, we need to come up with a solution.  It’s not necessarily pointing fingers or putting the blame on anybody - it’s just figuring out a new model.  I think that like anything, times change, and we’re going to have to change our format - how we sell records - how we write songs even.  So, for me, it’s still about the music.  It’s still about the song.  That’s my priority.  As long as that’s good - then I’m good.

C>  The thing that I’ve heard the most - and by far what most people have conclusively said - is that the music will benefit this the most.  People will be more free to create the music they want - and in turn - it will just be better art.

B>  The reality is - that it used to be in the Church - that the musicians were the janitors of the church.  They were the lowest - in terms of not being in the spotlight.  I like the idea that we are being forced to go back to being the servants.  We’re the communicators.  That’s an extremely honorable place to be.  I think that was a great question.

C>  One more quick question before you publicist comes and whisks you away -

B>  Got it.

C>  What is your current musical self indulgence?

B>  Oh, there’s a Jordin Sparks song - oh what is it? 

(singing…)  “I can’t breathe with no air…”

You see, I’m not a huge Jordin Sparks/r&b fan.  But I love that song - it’s got a great melody.  I was telling somebody else that yesterday.

C>  Well thanks Brandon for taking the time to speak with me today, even if our time was limited.

B>  Yeah man, anytime.  It was great.

You can find out more information on Brandon Heath by visiting his website or by visiting his MySpace.

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