Biography

Brent Anderson is a storyteller. He’s a vocalist, a guitarist, and a recording artist, but it’s his lyrics that define his musical worldview. Insightful, playful, and relatable, Anderson’s songs craft everyday and pivotal moments alike into poignant snapshots of adversity and sometimes hilarious examinations of human nature.

A skilled guitarist with an obvious passion for the instrument, he attacks the strings with considerable intensity while still connecting with listeners in concert with the natural rapport of a young man who spent much of his childhood on stage.

Brent Anderson grew up in picturesque Pascagoula, Mississippi, an oil- and shrimping-based community near Biloxi. At the tender age of seven, Brent had already begun performing with his grandfather’s gospel quartet. At 10, he began writing songs, and by the time he was 13, he was fronting his own group.

His family was extremely supportive of his musical aspirations. His mother left her job as a teacher to homeschool Brent so he could perform at night and sleep-in to get his rest. “We started playing a whole bunch on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, and we’d go ‘til 2 or 2:30 in the morning,” Anderson says, recalling how his dad would only get a few hours sleep before having to be at his job the next morning. “Looking back, I realize the sacrifices my parents made just so I could play.”

Anderson spent his formative years soaking up a variety of musical influences. “My mom thought there was country music and that’s it,” he says with a grin. “My grandparents were big into gospel, and my cousin, who is more like my brother, listens to rock like Matchbox Twenty and Dave Matthews Band. My dad was classic rock all the way. He’s a big Eagles fan. He also loved the old acoustic records, which is what got me into playing the acoustic more than the electric. But whether it was country, pop, or rock, it was lyrics that attracted me to the songs. I think Billy Joel is one of the greatest storytellers EVER. I listened to ‘Piano Man’ every day. When I was old enough to really understand it, it was a great story, and that was the thing to me, just trying to find a way to come up with those stories.

“When I turned 13 or 14, that’s when I really got into trying to write my own songs. On my first trip to Nashville, I was about 13. My parents took me up here to record six or seven songs. I think in their minds, they were trying to show me how hard it was, but it backfired. The first time I heard all these studio musicians play a song I wrote, I wanted to do this.”

To support their son’s dreams, his parents moved the family from Pascagoula to Nashville in 2005, a mere two weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, devastating their beloved Mississippi.

Anderson’s career really caught fire when he signed with Sea Gayle Music, working with frequent collaborator and Sea Gayle co-founder Chris DuBois. His publishing affiliation led to a record deal with Sea Gayle Records/Arista Nashville.

Produced by Frank Rogers (Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker), Anderson’s debut introduces a songwriter of considerable wit and emotional range, as well as a distinctive vocalist. He co-wrote every song on the album and plays guitar throughout the record.

Debut single “Amy’s Song,” about a girl who catches his eye before a show, is a clever country mash-up with a chorus that borrows from Pure Prairie League’s classic “Amie.” The whole thing is made even sweeter with background vocals by Pure Prairie League alumni Vince Gill and Craig Fuller, founding band member who penned the timeless hit.

Anderson taps into the emotions of a failed relationship on “She Was Mine,” while “Higher Education,” co-written with Paisley and DuBois, offers a hilarious look at college shenanigans.

“What If She Is,” also co-written with Paisley and DuBois, is the tender ballad of a young couple whose high-school life of activities and exams is interrupted when a possible pregnancy leaves only one test on their minds.

“We Ain’t Friends No More” playfully examines a relationship that initially ends with a woman wanting to be friends, but later deciding she wants something more, while “Mix Tape” is a nostalgic look at the way people shared music before the digital age. “Pontchartrain” is an upbeat window on Southern life that Anderson says is the most autobiographical song on the album.

“It’s fun to see a guy like this get a chance to present to the world what he’s written and sing it for them,” Paisley says of Brent. “People are going to love his songwriting. It’s unique and really cool. He comes from the perspective of a 23-year-old writer and sings like no one else in our format.”

“Some of these songs I lived, some I lived through my dearest friends, and others I observed,” Anderson says of his debut. “For me, one of the beautiful things about being a writer is telling honest, heartfelt stories no matter who lived them. In a way, it’s like spilling my guts while always being able to protect the innocent – and the guilty,” he smiles. “I hope people can hear these songs and go, ‘Hey, that’s true. I know exactly what you’re talking about.’”