Full Name: Brandon
Matthew Maddox
Age:
27
Hometown || Currently Live
Ooltewah, TN || Nashville, TN
What made you want to start
singing/writing?
From the time I was two or three
years old, my parents said I would basically space out and go into another
world when a song was playing in a restaurant or store. By age four, I was
carrying a tune and singing songs I had heard on my dad’s old Beach Boys and
Beatles albums. I remember being fascinated and liking music at that young age!
The Beatles, Johnny Cash, and others who sang and had written songs were the
inspired me to want to start writing music myself.
Do you play any instruments? Did you
teach yourself?
Yes, I play the guitar, some
harmonica, a little bass, and a touch of keyboard. I never had a lesson on any
of these instruments. At age eleven or twelve, I restrung my grandfather’s old
classical guitar, which had been locked away in his old woodshed, and I started
teaching myself guitar from Beatle’s books learning from the guitar chord
charts in the back. I drew out the neck of the guitar and memorized the notes
around that time and was trying to play along to sheet music and then just
decided to listen to the songs and figure them out by ear. That’s how I figure
out songs I perform out to this day!
Who are your biggest musical
inspirations?
As I mentioned-The Beatles, Hank
Williams, Brad Paisley, Toby Keith, and a montage of artists from Bluegrass to
old school Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Where do you get inspiration to
write?
Most of the time from experiences
I’ve lived through or something I’ve seen like a movie or book that really
moves me to the point of making me rethink something or changes my world view.
Do you have a favorite song that
you’ve written or co-written?
It’s really hard to nail down a specific one. I get
this question a lot, but I never really have an answer, unfortunately, since
out of 1,000 songs roughly or more that I’ve written and cowritten, about all
of them are my “babies” and there are a lot that I would say are my favorites!
What moment in your career is your
favorite thus far?
Last year was an awesome year touring the Midwest
with Monster Truck Nationals as their artist of the year! In answer to your
question, one bar in Sioux City after my first Monster Truck show, was full of
people wearing Brandon Maddox t-shirts and they all turned and clapped when I
entered the room! It was the greatest moment so far with performing!
Finish this sentence, If I could
write a song for or with anyone I would choose Paul McCartney.
If I could sing a song with anyone I
would choose Brad Paisley.
Where do you see yourself in a year?
In a year, I see myself touring the
entire Country with fans who have heard me live from the east coast to the
west.
5 years?
In five years, I see myself with a
number one song if signed to a label since that’s the way number one hits are
“manufactured” anyway, or if no one signs me, I see myself selling out places
holding three-five thousand people or more!
If I wasn’t a singer/songwriter I would
be...
Probably mentoring people who were trying to get into the music business.
I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs with music, and have encountered both
good and bad people in the business! I believe that knowledge would be valuable
to someone just starting out coming to Nashville, etc.
I’m afraid of...
sometimes being up in a
plane and there’s a lot of turbulence.
I never get tired of...
sitting around
jamming with friends, who I admire their songwriting. I could do this everyday
if there was time!
What is one thing people may not know
about you?
I’m actually by nature more of a one
on one private kind of person. For years, I didn’t pursue being an artist
because of the lack of privacy I saw for people who chose a life in the
limelight. The only reason I chose to be an artist instead of a songwriter,
remaining out of the public eye, is because the industry got so difficult and
political with getting “outside songs” recorded by big name artists. I felt I
had a better shot at getting my songs out to the world by forsaking my private
life and being an artist so that my songs could have the best shot at being
heard!
We are two months into the new year,
what does 2015 look like for you? New music? Festivals? Etc.
This year, as you have seen if you’ve
been following me at fb.com/brandonmaddoxmusic or @bmadmusic on twitter, is
crazy busy! I’ll be performing with the LoCash Cowboys, Trent Tomlinson, Josh
Thompson, and my friends, Trailer Choir at a festival in May, and I’ve got
shows booked out at bars all the way until August! In less than two weeks, I’ll
be in the studio working on probably my best album yet called “Living on
Sunshine”, which should be out for sale to the public by April! There are so
many other exciting things between opening for other big name acts and things
with Monster Truck, and it’s going to be a groundbreaking year for sure!
C O N N E C T