Meet Brandon “Broke String” Burnett | Singer / Songwriter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon “Broke String” Burnett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon “Broke String”, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
There are many ways work life balance has changed over time for me. For one thing, it used to be non-existent. It was a life changing decision when I started to use time management for my advantage, instead of acting out of anxiety and always feeling stressed out. Now I think about balance as just that, it’s how you feel. It’s important for me to have time to relax, recover and reflect. I’ll always come back stronger and do a better job.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a singer/ songwriter and performer. I quit my nine to five job in 2016 to start working for myself. That meant gigging with my acoustic guitar and all the things running a business requires. My wife, Jessica, soon did the same and it was one of the biggest risks we ever made. Using connections we had through the many years of being in bands and playing at many venues, we were able to do just enough to make it work with the ultimate goal of touring full time. We had just played our first gig in New Orleans, March 3rd, 2020 (our third out-of-state show, ever) with the intention building a touring route East. Of course, the pandemic stopped those plans and our future in its tracks. Everything kind of came crashing down at once when Jessica was hospitalized diagnosed with Crohn’s disease a few months later. We were down, but not out. That became our sort of mantra through some very dark times. With those challenges and with the help of our friends and family we overcame. The challenges of running your own business and taking care of your health, physically and mentally, never gets easier, but we adapt to life’s changes. To me, that includes emotional intelligence (taking care of your loved ones, checking in) and prioritizing all of your chores and challenges. Musically, it meant, live stream shows on social media and low budget projects made in our apartment including a photo shoot, a music video and producing music in our closet.

Whether I’m solo with an acoustic guitar or playing as a duo with my wife, I am drawn to Alternative Country and Folk Music driven by heavy concepts. I learned to play guitar mostly listening to Punk Music and Rockabilly that all came to a peak 2016-2017 when my wife and I were fronting the Gothic Americana Punk band called The Phantom Sensation. After the band stopped playing we cut down to a duo and focused on writing songs that showcased our harmonies. As “Burnett” we released our first duo album called Blood Gold, inspired by the dark history of treasure hunting in Texas. We learned a lot about the music business while touring and meeting other musicians.

As a full time musician it was hard to have a work life balance and very easy to over-work. One thing I learned was to not be afraid to ask for what you are worth, your time is valuable and you are worth it. This was a challenge for me, but choosing quality over quantity was one of the best changes I made. To over come this challenge I did have to take up other jobs not related to my music career. In the long run, I am happy with where I am now. Ultimately, I want the world to know that I have followed my passion and failed multiple times. Each failure was a chance to get back up and approach the music business in a new way, especially the many hurdles of 2020.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would probably start out fancy at brunch, just for the delicious sushi at Blue Sushi Sake Grill and watch the original Godzilla at the bar, catch some live music in the early afternoon outside at Smokestack 1948 on the south side and enjoy a cocktail or two or three. We’d probably head back to the west 7th area and go to a park or see whats going on at an art gallery in the area. Then, we’d find some good BBQ and go see a show at Lola’s Saloon or go to the East side and drink at The Post at River East. If the music ends early and we want to get weird, we’ll go ghost hunting at Miss Molly’s Hotel in the Stockyards or head up to Goat Man’s Bridge in Denton.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shoutout to The Rye Boys, they are doing good things.

Website: https://www.burnettduo.com/brandonburnett

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokestringburnett/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brokestringburnett

Youtube: shorturl.at/lDFX7

Image Credits
WIll Crews, Brooks Burris, Hope Andrade