Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and other famous rock legends look down upon Brandon White as he picks on his Les Paul. There are other legend’s posters plastered on the wall as well, but not many – there’s only so much decorating that can be done to an in-home recording studio located in Fairhope, Ala.
Los Angeles may be a more ideal environment, but B-White says, “Been there. Done that,” if you make the suggestion –- he has the contract to prove it. But L.A. comes much later in this story.
After graduating from Fairhope High School in 2003, White vetoed college, moving to Nashville, Tenn., instead with his band, Triple 40, comprised of White (guitar), Nick Carroll (bassist) and Kyle Carter (drummer). The next four years of White’s life were dedicated to nonstop touring around the Southeast. It was in 07, during the course of the fourth consecutive year touring, when he realized he and his band had slipped into the scene every up-and-coming group tries desperately to avoid – the cover band scene.
“I really felt like I was done with it,” White, 26, said, rattling off some gnarly guitar riff on his Les Paul. “Music. Guitar. All of it. I mean, who wants to be the lead guitarist of a cover band when they’re 30?”
This was the first time doubts had ever crept into White’s mind concerning music. Since he was a kid, music was his passion. He received his first instrument, a drum set, at the age of eight. Shortly after, his mother taught him to play piano while his father schooled him in guitar.
These memories brought a smile to White’s face as he reminisced about his past, but he acknowledged that while music was his passion, he wasn’t sure it was a realistic means for the future.
“I applied to the University of Alabama for the next fall, ’07,” White said. “Washing my hands of music was the most realistic option.”
Now seated at his studio desk, those days seem like a distant memory for White. Since the dark days, White has come a long way; inking a deal with Universal as a songwriter in 2009, working with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Toni Braxton and Harvey Mason Jr., and regaining his passion and love for music.
Before White threw in the towel on music, his close friend and bassist, Nick Carroll, secured Triple 40 one last gig – an audition with Michael Warren.
Warren, a singer/songwriter, had already established a fan base using his original material, and was being actively pursued by major record labels. So when Triple 40 nailed the audition and became the Michael Warren Band, they also became part of something they had been searching for but hadn’t yet found.
“Mike was already doing the original thing,” White said. “Something that we hadn’t been able to do because of the whole cover band rut. He was writing great songs that were getting like 3 – 4,000 listens a day on MySpace.”
After getting on board with Warren late in 2007, the band began touring with Michael immediately, performing at venues across the country. It wasn’t long after that Warren got his big break, signing as a songwriter with Atlantic in ‘08. Despite being signed, he continued to tour, and submitted songs from the road and his studio located in Birmingham, Ala.
This was also around the same time that White discovered the uncanny songwriting connection he and Warren shared.
“We just write well together,” White said. “You really can’t explain it.”
Since the two write so well together, it’s no surprise that when Warren’s record label urged him to move to L.A., he invited White to join.
“We moved out to L.A. to get into the mix,” White said. “Everyone who’s doing anything, whether it’s music, acting or whatever is there. If you want to make connections and see the business, it’s the place to go.”
Without a deal, White was forced to find real work; force may be a strong word since he landed a job as a sound engineer for the illustrious Paramount studios. No deal didn’t mean White’s motivation to write was shot, he and Warren collaborated on a regular basis, and before long, landed a pretty big fish.
In no time it all, the two made a hit, selling their song “One Shot” to the English boy band, JLS. The song went #1 on BBC Radio 1 and peaked at #21 on the European Hot 100 singles. White’s reputation as a songwriter, guitarist and sound engineer earned him a publishing contract with Universal Music Group in 2010.
JLS was just the beginning for White. Afterwards, Warren pulled his friend into the Atlantic studio to play guitar on a couple of tracks for legendary R&B singer, Toni Braxton. White plays electric on “No Way, ” and electric on “Don’t Leave,” which wasn’t released on the regular album.
“That was the most nervous I’ve ever been to play,” White said laughing. “I was in the studio in front of Atlantic’s President, Harvey Mason Jr. and Toni Braxton, and they were like, ‘Just play somethin’ real quick. It needs to be good.’”
Knees shakin’ and all, White picked out a nice riff on-the-spot and just went with it. Halfway through, everyone told him to stop – it was exactly what they were looking for. This became the main riff for “Don’t Leave.”
He’s also collaborated with some high-profile producers, such as Brian Kennedy (Rihanna, Jesse McCartney, Chris Brown) & Dapo (Justin Bieber, John Legend, Demi Lovato).
The City of Angels was good to White, but the cost of living wasn’t. Rent alone was a financial drain, so he decided to move back to a place where he could still make music, but stack a little paper as well.
Now residing in Fairhope, AL, White does all of his work from home. He told Fishbowl he writes, records and sends it to his A&R, via email, who then pitches his songs to the managers of various artists. His most recent cuts include Cody Simpson’s “Summertime” and Jaheim’s “Closer”.
“Sometimes I’ll hit up a producer, ‘cause they’re always makin’ tracks,” White said. “I’ll get the track, write a melody and some lyrics and send it out.”
Currently, there are about 500 tracks in White’s bank of potential songs that he has created, either by himself, with Warren or other producers. According to White, his A&R knows them all. “Let’s say she (White’s A&R) goes into a meeting with an artist’s manager,” White said. “Depending on who it is, she’ll have 10 or more of my songs for the manager to listen to, specific songs she feels are good fits for their client.”
Plastered to the wall, Marley and Paige listen intently as White plays some of their tunes and talks about his story.
“I love writing music,” White said. “But I became burnt out on it while I was out in L.A. Being back (home) has really made me miss writing on a regular basis and in an actual studio.”
White told Fishbowl he’s got the itch to return to Nashville, where he lived while playing exclusively with Triple 40.
“A lot of my songs are placed in The Pop and R&B genre,” White said as he carefully placed his Les Paul in it’s resting case. “I’m cool with my songs being placed wherever and with whoever, that’s why I write. But, I’d really like to get some songs place in the Country and Rock realm of things; those are my personal favorites.”
Wherever he ends up, and whatever genre his songs are placed in, B-White said it really boils down to one thing — making music.
