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Throughout
history the number
7
has always been
considered a powerful and sacred number. With the release
of his seventh CD justly entitled “VII”
Brandon Jenkins takes his place as one of the most soulful
and prolific songwriters around today.
Standing well over six feet tall, shaved head, and
tattoos blazing, most people would assume that
Jenkins is a hard rock act or at least a professional
wrestler, but nothing could be farther from the truth. As
part of the "Red Dirt" music scene in
Oklahoma for more than a decade, he has honed his skills and
made a name for himself as one of the premier
performing songwriters around.
Now living
in
Austin, Texas
Brandon has assembled an
incredible band and undertaken a hellacious touring schedule
wearing out stages across the United States and
Europe.
On the heels of his critically acclaimed CD “Down
In Flames”,
which produced 2 top ten singles on the Texas Music
Charts, Jenkins has recently signed with Texas based
Smith Music Group
and is Making big waves
with his latest hit single from VII,
“Why Did We Ever Say Goodbye”.
Difficult
to corral into one musical style, Jenkins’ music seems to
reach far beyond any one type of classification, though
Country, Rock, and Blues are all categories that his
diversity allows him to be a part of. Soulful,
poetic, rowdy, and fun; he explores all these
things and more, sometimes simultaneously, and does it
without the least bit of pretension, he writes songs the way
they’re supposed to be: real
stories about the heart of living, that everyone can relate
to.
The road
to success has not been easy for Jenkins; it has had several
peaks, valleys, and a few sharp turns. Starting with his
first record deal in 1994 with Alabama label Raney Records,
things started out with a bang. The label sent him on the
road in a silver eagle, raking in the money from playing big
country dance halls. Beneath the success though, a storm was
brewing. The country "hat act" the label had turned him into
was not setting well with Brandon. His artistic freedom was
non-existent and the constant traveling was beginning to
take its toll.
In 1995
Brandon left the label and signed with manager R. C. Bradley
(Dwight Yoakum, Jim Lauderdale). By spring, he had made the
move to Nashville, but things there would not go well. "Everywhere
I went they told me the same thing; that I had a great voice
but I didn’t have the right look, or my song was too risqué.”
This only reinforced his resolve to be his own man. After
less than a year, he decided to go back to his base in
Oklahoma. This time, he would follow his own artistic
vision, transforming himself from a longhaired country "hat
act" into a bald headed tattooed singer/songwriter.
"I
decided from here on out I’m going to be myself, and damn
the consequences.”
Being true
to himself has proved successful. Jenkins has built a large
and loyal following of fans. He has shared the stage with
the likes of Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr, Pat Green,
David Allen Coe, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Charlie Daniels,
Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker, The Mavericks, Hal
Ketchum, Steven Stills, BR-549, Jack Ingram, John Anderson,
and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
Several
artists of distinction have recorded Brandon's songs as
well, including Billy Vera,
Lester Chambers,
Stoney LaRue, Bleu Edmondson, Red
Dirt Rangers, Mary Cogan, and No Justice just to
name a few.
Jenkins’
music has received several awards and acknowledgments for
his work: Winner of "Best Video" for "Down
In Flames" at The 2005 AMN Video Awards, Nominated for
Album Of The Year at the Gruene With Envy
Music Awards in 2003 and 2004, winner of Song Of The
Year for "My Feet Don’t Touch The Ground" at the
2003 Oklahoma Red Dirt Music Awards, and Winner of the 2001
Jim Beam Music B.E.A.M. Music Grant.
With his
latest album, “VII,” Jenkins continues to
create honest music on his own terms. Not tied down by
someone else’s dreams or ideas, Jenkins has finally been
able to craft an album of 10 tracks using his own vision.
"Over the years there have been a lot of obstacles to
overcome, but looking back I don't think I would change a
thing; and it's going to make the success of this project
that much sweeter.”
For more information contact:
info@brandonjenkins.com
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