Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacy Brinson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in North Central Florida, just south of Valdosta, Georgia. Our house was always filled with music. Mama sang while she was cooking, and Daddy played southern rock and bluegrass on a record player. My grandaddy was a circuit-riding Southern Baptist preacher, and he would take me with him to sing in different churches when I was a small child. We lived out in the country, and the only radio stations we could pick up were country music stations.
My love for country music started way back then. I started singing to demo tapes as early as elementary school. Mama would dress me up in the finest rodeo wear we could find and take me to talent shows and county fairs all over North Florida and South Georgia. As I got older, I realized that I wanted to do more than sing to a demo tape. I wanted to play my own music. I started taking guitar lessons as a young teenager and fell in love with playing. I led worship for my youth group and performed in talent shows at school. I began writing songs. I recorded my first album at my voice coach’s home recording studio when I was 15. I later recorded a second album, including original music, in that same studio. I was voted Most Talented by my senior class in high school, but I sat music aside for a few years while I went to college and law school.
By the time I was in my early twenties, I revisited my love for music after a breakup. I started gigging at a few bars and restaurants on the beaches of North Florida/South Georgia. When my now-husband moved to South Texas in 2011, I soon followed, freshly out of the studio with a three-song EP of original music, and continued gigging in smaller venues in the San Antonio area. Since then, I’ve met local musicians who’ve helped me connect to others in the industry. I love supporting them by going to their gigs, and I love seeing them in the audience at mine. Feeling inspired by the Texas Red Dirt scene, I began focusing more on songwriting and co-writing with other musicians, including my husband.
I was also fortunate enough to join a corporate/wedding band founded by Jeanine Davis Perron that has resulted in long-time friendships and working relationships with some of the most talented performers and producers in the business. While I loved singing with the band, I continued to cultivate my own brand by performing as a solo singer-songwriter. In 2014, I got married and recorded my next EP, Lost Lover’s Lullaby, with Jeanine, her Grammy-winning sound engineer husband, Marius Perron, and my friend and co-writer, Jimmy Perkins, as my producer. Jeanine and Marius recorded the EP for us as a wedding gift. Several other extremely talented musicians joined me on that EP, and the result was something beautiful. In 2019, I went back into the studio with Marius and a new friend and producer, Blair Davis, to record my 5th studio album, Gratitude, which is a collection of some of my (and Blair’s) favorite classic country and western songs. The album name says it all. I’m grateful to have loved music for so long. I’m grateful to play music, create music, and share music.
The pandemic felt like a rebirth for me. I stopped gigging. I stopped writing. I stopped singing. For almost 10 months I did not do anything involving music except listen to it. And then when the world reopened, so did my love of performing. I hit the ground running. I wrote new songs, booked new venues, collaborated with other musicians, joined a new band, and began honing my skills more than I have ever done in the past. The connections I have made in the past year are just incredible. The amount of raw talent in this area of the country is unmatched, and I am so thankful to have built a life and a career here.
You can find me performing solo or as a duo/trio around the San Antonio area with my friends, or as one of the lead singers of a project called the Western Bop Theater, a traveling road show backed by the very talented band, The Prairie Rattlers. I can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store. Music is a lifelong passion that has given me both roots and wings.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I first moved to Texas, I had to create new networks and start from scratch when it came to finding venues and collaborating with other musicians. I started playing at sparsely crowded bars and restaurants and worked my way up to private parties, large wineries, and packed events.
Right before the pandemic, I found a local support network online with Sisters of Song, founded by local San Antonio singer-songwriter, Laura Marie. We are a group of women in the music industry who love telling women’s stories through song and who understand the variety of challenges facing female musicians. The group has been an amazing way to network and learn through other women who have already been where I am trying to go. I have also been able to mentor other female musicians and pay it forward by helping those who are just starting out find their connections, learn the business, and avoid obstacles that I learned to avoid.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write, sing, and perform music of all genres, including covers and original music. But my largest influence has always been country music. I love covering old country music and creating my own modern version of classic country music. I am also a mom to two young boys, a wife, and a full time attorney. Life can get a little hectic trying to juggle all of my passions, but I am lucky to have the right people in my corner to guide me through it.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Finding mentors like Jeanine, Marius, Jimmy, Blair, Laura Marie, The Prairie Rattlers and so many other extremely talented musicians who have taught me their craft and helped me hone my skills has been an invaluable experience. And joining the Sisters of Song has given me a sense of community with other like-minded women in the industry. There’s nothing like finding common ground with fellow musicians and giving back where you can. Never stop listening, and never stop learning.
Contact Info:
- Email: lacybrinson@gmail.com
- Website: www.lacybrinson.com
- Instagram: @lacybrinsonmusic
- Facebook: Lacy Brinson Music
Image Credits
Brett Watts Photography
Intrepid Media
