Meet Brandon Callies: Musician & Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Callies and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, what’s your definition for success?
I think happiness is the best measure of success. For some folks, happiness stems from financial security or monetary abundance. For others, it’s just doing what you love. If you can lay your head down every night with a satisfied mind, I think you’re successful. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a musician and a visual artist. I write songs and perform under my own name, and I play bass in a band called Heart of the City. Musically, I primarily split my time between those two things. I’ve got a record coming out under my name around spring of 2021 on Hand Drawn Records that I’m pretty pumped about. I’ve dumped a ton of personal baggage onto this recording, so you could say, it was a pretty therapeutic experience. I also do visual art for other musicians/brands, and I love the people I get to work with on a daily basis. I started doing art more heavily when I needed artwork for my own record. I got pricing from other visual artists, and it was pretty high, so I just decided I’d do it myself. From there, it just sort of snowballed. I started getting contacted to do artwork for other musicians and companies, and it has steadily grown ever since. The only real challenge that comes with doing art and music is finding the balance between pleasing others and pleasing yourself. You want to create things that other people will like without compromising your own integrity. It can be difficult at times, but when you find that sweet spot, it pays off.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Deep Ellum has always had a special place in my heart. I can’t go to that area without stopping by Will Call. Their food, drinks, and staff are the coolest. I’m also frequently at Three Links and the Double Wide. It’s hard to see a bad show at those venues.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My buddy Paco Estrada has always been a pretty big influence on me. He’s a visual artist and a musician as well, and I’ve always admired his drive and his abilities. We play in a band together called Heart of the City, and I believe it works so well because of that mutual respect we have for one another.

Website: www.brandoncallies.com
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/brandoncallies
Twitter: www.twitter.com/brandoncallies
Facebook: www.facebook.com/brandoncalliesmusic
Youtube: www.youtube.com/brandoncallies
Other: www.brandoncalliesart.com www.instagram.com/brandoncalliesart www.facebook.com/brandoncalliesart www.heartofthecitymusic.com www.instagram.com/heartofthecityband www.facebook.com/heartofthecitymusic

Image Credits
Womack Creative Jay Simon Andrew Pederson Zach Arrington Omarr Awake Amy Autry