Getting your start at the famous Café Wha, the same place where Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, among many others, also did, is a pretty good resume line for any musician. Now, after 15 years leading the prestigious house band, BRYAN STEPHENS' time has come to shine as a solo artist. The songwriter-musician's fate changed when Blue Elan Records head, Kirk Pasich, wandered into Café Wha for dinner. After sitting through STEPHENS' set, he approached the singer/songwriter and offered him a record deal, on the spot. STEPHENS' debut album, Village of Dreams, is set for release on July 21 through Blue Elan Records.
STEPHENS, who relocated to New York right after high school to follow his dream of becoming a musician, has been crafting songs for his debut album Village of Dreams. Most of his hook-laden tracks are based on relationships and the roller coaster ride of life we all go through. "They're inspired by the good and the bad," STEPHENS says, "People can relate to the songs since I've been writing about what everyone experiences."
The deeply dramatic yet pretty ballad, "Out of Her Mind", was written when STEPHENS was a teenager. "I wrote that when my parents split up," he recalls, "The bleak can be inspiring." As a child of the '90s, STEPHENS grew up on Nirvana,
Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. All of these iconic acts made an undeniable impact on him with their dark, brooding rock lyrics and melodies. "Those bands made me want to pick up a guitar. I taught myself how to play
Pearl Jam songs on guitar. That's how I learned."
Getting a chance to master your skills at a place like Café Wha, renowned in the NY music scene, has got to be inspiring. It's been told that
Bob Dylan hitchhiked from
Minnesota to New York, strolling in the famous venue to ask if he could perform. It's also where he was later fired for being late 3 times! Other young performers like Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce,
Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor got early chances to hone their talents. BRYAN STEPHENS is part of that legendary Café Wha House Band where he sits in with the rest of the band from Wednesday through Sunday, "satisfying your every need for sound, hitting on all styles of music; Motown, Reggae, R&B, and Classic/ Alternative/ Modern rock."
Preorder link - Village of Dreams Preorder
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