It's been a busy summer for Brandon Whyde.
The Indiana native recently completed recording his new album with Jimmy Nutt at the Nutt House in Sheffield. He filmed a video for his first release on the album, "Come to Jesus," and he's traveling the country doing promotion and shows.
And Whyde will be at Russellville's historic Roxy Theater this Saturday, July 22, as part of the W.C. Handy Festival, as he headlines the Yogi's Foodco Customer Appreciation Concert, hosted by Mark “Yogi” Welborn.
The show will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday night. Admission is free. Members of the Franklin County Arts and Humanities Council will be on hand to sell refreshments at the show.
Welborn and Whyde are good friends, and their friendship began by chance one night when Welborn heard Whyde sing at Swampers Bar and Grill in Florence.
“We met after his show," Welborn said. "We found out we had a lot of common interest in some songwriters, started talking and soon became friends."
Yogi's Foodco on Waterloo Road in Russellville will celebrate its fourth anniversary on September 13, so Welborn, who sits on the W.C. Handy Board, wanted to do something special for his customers and the community.
This Saturday's show is part of busy four-day stretch in north Alabama for Whyde, who will perform a total of four shows during Handy week.
Whyde describes his music as Americana, a style that incorporates elements of several genres of music, including country, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, R&B and blues.
Although many of his shows are solo performances, Whyde does have a band consisting of Nashville brothers Matt and Kevin Nolan (his drummer and lead guitarist), Indiana-based bass player Chris Weller and Mina Keohane, who plays keyboard, accordion and sings background vocals.
“Americana carries such a wide umbrella these days," Whyde said. "Some of my music can be described as triple-A [adult alternative] as well."
Whyde will take the stage at Fame Recording Studios this Thursday, July 20, as part of the Sam Phillips Music Corporation's Muscle Shoals to Music Row show. Although the show is not open to the public, Whyde's fans can watch online at www.ms2mr.com at 8 p.m.
Whyde's musical journey began after high school. He was a four-sport athlete at Beech Grove (Indiana) High School, so there wasn't much time for music or music training. His first public performance came at a coffee shop in his hometown, Whyde said.
Although he attended college, Whyde left school and headed to Nashville. Through some musical contacts, Whyde was introduced to Josh Kelley and Ryan Cabrera. Kelley, a popular singer-songwriter who's charted four hits on the Hot Adult Top 40 list and wrote and performed the opening theme song on the television show Mike and Molly, liked what he heard with Whyde, and soon the young singer had his first break.
“I made some great contacts ten years ago, touring with Josh and Ryan and just being on the road,” Whyde said.
After Nashville, Whyde spent time in New York, Atlanta and back in Indiana before “regrouping” three years ago and returning to Nashville.
Whyde has some impressive company on his new 10-song CD, including the legendary Spooner Oldham, who played on the "Come to Jesus" cut; Marie Lewey and Cindy Walker, the Shoals Sisters, who've contributed to numerous big-name studio recording sessions with their unique vocal talent; and bassist Jimbo Hart, who plays with Jason Isbell.
“The new album is a complete original work,” Whyde said. “Writing is my passion, and I always wanted to be a writer. It just happened that the medium I chose to do writing also involved singing and playing the guitar."
Whyde writes what he's experienced in his life and describes himself as a very personal songwriter.
“Even the songs that seem devoid of me or a personal story are still steeped in some bit of my personal life,” Whyde said.
Nashville may be Whyde's home now, but he's been made to feel right at home everywhere he's gone in the Shoals area, he explained.
“People in north Alabama have been nothing but welcoming," he said. "I've played here three or four times and have been able to talk with all the big-name guys here who've come to see me at Swampers. Here, they're not worried about keeping up appearances like in Nashville.
“It's about music and people. I love music and getting to know people, and it's easy to make friends here. Every time I pull into town I feel like it's my home base already."
In addition to his Russellville show and several dates in the Shoals, Whyde will be busy in the coming days preparing for Nashville's Americana Fest 2017 (in September) and he'll jump feet-first into marketing his new album.
“We'll be reaching out to booking agents in the coming months," he said, "and I'll be focused on the marketing and branding aspects of my artistry. The Americana Fest is a great place to make contacts."
