Joe Bryson is a hot, young, 18-year-old indie singer/songwriter from South Louisiana. He draws inspiration from his Southern Cajun roots but also from such modern artists as Jack Johnson, John Mayer and Mumford & Sons. He began playing music at a young age and you can tell because his music is very organic. After getting diagnosed with thyroid cancer back in November, he spent time in recovery writing his most personal songs to date.
His latest single “12 Cervazes”, a song he started writing back in the eighth grade, is evidence of the time and energy that went into writing. It makes you feel like you're at a bar on an island trying to nurse your broken heart on a lonely night. Even if he isn't a drinker, he says his time writing country music in Nashville helped him learn how to write lyrics about girls and drinking. This song has the potential to be a summer hit, the kind that makes you want to relax and have a drink on a beach. Joe has a natural ability to craft a song that's bound to get stuck in your ear and tell a story that will ache your already broken heart.
Check it out here! Read more about our favorite new heart throb in our exclusive interview below.
Hi Joe, Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! There’s not too much to tell about myself, I live a pretty blessed life. Im currently in my second semester at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, majoring in Music Business. I’m also one of 6 kids, and the only one who really pursued a music career. My mother and father were both big fans of music, and my mother is a pretty good singer, but neither of them really pursued it as a passion either. I was a football player in high school and won a state championship my junior year, but quit my senior year to pursue music. I like to think I’m pretty much your average college student.
What's your favorite memory of working in Nashville? I bet that was an amazing experience!
Nashville was a fantastic experience. I was blessed enough to do four co-writes while I was there. It’s such a cool process getting to see the nitty gritty part of the industry, and just how competitive it really is. It was definitely eye opening, and a huge learning experience.
How were you able to revive a song you wrote back in your childhood?
“12 Cervazes” has a huge piece of my heart. It’s really the first song that I can distinctly remember sitting down and taking the time to put it together piece by piece. Honestly, I have not changed a word of that song since the day that I wrote it in the 8th grade. I honestly forgot who I wrote the song about, and had never even drank a sip of alcohol in my life at the time, but I guess I had a pretty complicated love life back then.
How did your fight with cancer influence your music career?
My cancer ordeal is honestly my biggest inspiration as an artist to this day. I try and focus on all of the positives I got from it than the negatives. Sure, it left a massive scar on my neck that I’ll have for the rest of my life, but it also inspired me to write some incredibly emotional songs that truly display who I am as an artist. It also put my entire life in perspective. Before, I would just go through the motions of life day by day. Now I wake up every morning with a purpose and a goal in mind, and I try not to take any one of those days for granted.
What's next for you through 2019? We can't wait to hear what's next from you!
I’m hoping that 2019 will be a big year for me. Instead of releasing one album like I had planned to do in 2018 (before the cancer), I’ve decided to release each single that I wrote while going through treatment one at a time. I think that way it has more of an emotional impact on the listener, and it really encapsulates the whole ordeal better. All in all though, I’m just hoping to have a lot of fun with my music in 2019, and I hope I can impact some people while doing it.
Keep up with Joe Bryson on social media!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/_joebryson
Twitter: www.twitter.com/joebrysonmusic