Photos two, three, and four courtesy of Smithley Ville.
Hometown and/or Current City: Hamburg, NJ
Keywords: Music, Artist, Singer-Songwriter
Brendan Thomas Meyer is an American singer-songwriter, recording artist, record producer and multi-instrumentalist from New Jersey. Brendan is a lifelong, self-taught musician from a small town who went on to graduate from the Berklee College of Music - Boston, MA in the spring of 2018.
As a child, Brendan began singing in elementary school and was soon after encouraged by his parents to start playing guitar, piano, drums and harmonica over the years. By the time he was a teenager he was writing, recording and crafting his own songs from his computer. "I grew up listening to the music of storytellers and groove makers," the now 23 year-old says of his musical upbringing. "Music is fun and exciting. It should be able to move you on some level. It needs to. Sometimes that's just through the story telling of lyrics and sometimes it’s just the instrumentation itself. Emotionally or physically. To me, the best songs have both elements. You've gotta feel the music."
Brendan has created his own sound which pays homage to his heroes while remaining distinctly his own, drawing inspiration from the likes of: Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Frank Ocean, James Brown, The Beatles, Maroon 5, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, The Beach Boys, The Four Seasons, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Kanye West, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Daft Punk, Amy Winehouse, John Mayer, Drake, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Justin Timberlake, Adele and others.
Brendan, who lost his dad to a battle with cancer during his senior year of high school, credits much of his musical DNA to his father, who inspired him to take up music in the first place. Shortly after graduating, Brendan left his family and home state of NJ to pursue his musical goals. "Those were some of the darkest years of my life after I lost my dad," says Meyer, "but they were also some of the best." In those years, Meyer spent time reflecting upon and recalibrating his life. "The whole experience changed my life and my art, to say the least. I tried my best to be as positive as I could about the whole situation and I feel like my music is better for it as odd as that may seem. It deepened my perspectives on life and, in turn, my music. I suppose I wouldn't be the person I am if things had gone differently," explains Brendan.
Despite his shortcomings, Brendan's positive attitude and perseverance is on full display as he continues releasing music across major streaming platforms following his return home to New Jersey. "I hope to reach and inspire as many people as possible with my music. I want my music to be an escape for my fans while inspiring new listeners to follow their dreams, whatever that may be. I want to help keep the music and music scene of New Jersey alive and well for years to come just like those who came before, did for me. I want to make my family, friends, fans and of course all of my teachers and mentors throughout the years proud. I owe them for all their years of support and for continually investing in me. I've got some projects I'm really proud of that I've yet to share with the world. I'm just getting started."
Upcoming Shows:
Latest Release (October 19, 2018): Brendan Thomas Meyer - "Nerve"
New single, available now on all streaming platforms (i.e. Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, etc.)
song.link/Nerve
https://soundcloud.com/brendanthomasmeyer/nerve
