Meet Brandon Blair | Ambient musician

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

Hi Brandon, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
My career is in industrial parts sales, which is not so creative. It is partially due to having a 9 to 5 job that I seek a creative outlet during my free time. However as long as I can remember I’ve been a creative person. I took many art classes in high school and enjoyed expressing myself with surreal works, in many mediums. It was during these early days that I became involved in the local music scene, playing guitar and screaming in many punk and metal bands. Creatively, it has always been about being different or against the norm for me. I’ve never been involved in any popular bands nor written any hits, as I’ve sought to create work that may be more interesting to a few rather than try to please the masses. It is very rewarding for me to hear from someone that my music has benefited them in some way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My goal is to create sounds that are calm, relaxing, and meditative. In 2012 I studied sound technology at South Plains College, and it gave me the knowledge to be able to create exactly what ideas come to mind. I learned acoustics, live sound and studio processes, synthesizer basics, and microphone techniques. This was also around the time that I became interested in spiritual philosophy. I read “I Am That” by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj and enjoyed many talks by Alan Watts and Eckert Tolle. These takes on Zen Buddhism and Advaita blew my mind wide open. I was no longer agnostic and had found a new path. These two interests combined are what Aura Gaze is an outlet for. Of course, I am heavily influenced by many of the new-age greats such as Laraaji, Iasos, Ariel Kalma, and Steve Halpern. I like to take fragments of each of these influences to assemble my work. As a white cis male from West Texas playing new-age music, especially with instruments from all over the world, my worries have always been about appropriation. Believe me, I’m not out here purposefully attempting to do that, but I can understand how someone can come to that idea. Aura Gaze is truly a blend of spiritual and audio practices and nothing more. And I’d like to thank everyone who listens.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Here in Lubbock, I have some favorite spots to hang out and enjoy free time. I do enjoy an occasional adult beverage, and for that, I go to Flipper’s Tavern or The Lantern for the smoke-free environment, well-mixed drinks, and variety of beers on tap. And just like how I love world music I also love to eat ethnic foods. Thai Thai Lubbock has been a must since I was in high school. I’d also recommend Noras Mexican restaurant (especially for breakfast) and Vizo’s African Bar & restaurant.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As a project, Aura Gaze started around 2017. The following year, Matthew Hanner, owner of Aural Canyon, a cassette tape label from Austin, TX, gave me a chance to perform live at his SXSW showcase. This opportunity alone was how I joined the community of regional ambient and new-age musicians that I would have never been able to meet in person. Later, I would release “Sky Mind” on his label, one of my most popular releases. Another great mentor and friend is Andrew Weathers of Littlefield Tx. He runs the studio Wind Tide, where he mixes and masters a ton of great music for the experimental music community. He has helped me with recording, mixing, and mastering. We even have a collaborative album entitled “5 Plains” which you can listen to on Bandcamp. I’d also like to shoutout AP Macarte (NTS Radio), Karl Benedek (KWVA), Cody McPhail (Dallas Ambient Music Nights), and Melissa Seely (Me Mer Mo Monday, Austin) for playing my tracks on their radio shows and asking me to perform at their curated events.

Website: www.auragaze.bandcamp.com

Instagram: aura_gaze

Facebook: facebook.com/auragazemusic

Image Credits
Photos by Jordi Elliott, Neil Barrett, and Noel Rodriguez