Today we’d like to introduce you to Callan Brown
Hi Callan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started playing guitar when I was in middle school, and that was really the start of everything. Once I learned enough on guitar, I began to write songs a few years later. I grew up playing at church in youth group, and being apart of church bands, but it was all more of a hobby until I got to college. That’s when I started playing gigs and making some money and kind of learning to ropes. That was all mainly covers and just having a good time getting paid to play music. I never stopped writing, but I wouldn’t say I took that part of it seriously until post college. Even though I had recorded and released a small EP in 2013, I didn’t really know I was doing in the studio until I built a small set up at home and started digging in. Since then, I have been writing and releasing my own music, some self produced stuff and some working with others. I also get to co write and work with other artists. On top of that, I work in full time ministry at a church in downtown San Antonio, where I am able to lead worship and also write for our congregation. Getting to be an artist while also serving my church is a sweet spot for me. My wife, Yaz Williams, is also a singer-songwriter, and we get to do music together all the time, which is the absolute best. I still take on a lot of little gigs and side hustles, but today I am mainly a songwriter/artist/producer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m not sure I would call getting to where I’m at today challenging or difficult in the normal way, but it sure feels like a slow journey. Growing up, I was mainly an athlete. It wasn’t super cool to sing as a young guy and playing guitar in high school can get you made fun of.. Oddly enough, those kind of things can stick with you. I have been so fortunate to have family and friends that supports what I do, but just getting the self confidence to feel like you belong in this game can be pretty hard. I tend to play the comparison game with my peers, and there is always someone who makes you feel like you’re amazing, and at the same time, always someone who makes you want to quit. Learning to get past all of that has freed me up to be the artist that God created me to be. You can’t try to be anything other than that. At times, you can get discouraged playing the same old gigs, or putting out music that doesn’t have the reach you’d like, but aside from all of that, the most challenging part for me has been the internal struggle that a lot of artists have; am I good enough.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I tend to wear a lot of hats in order to pay the bills and keep the lights on, but as a creative, my main focus is songwriting and producing. I would say my speciality is writing songs and playing live shows, but I’ve really grown to love the whole creative process in the studio. I have loved learning to take a song all the way from nothing, to the production and mixing process, and understanding how it all works together. In the studio, I am most known for my writing and acoustic work. I have a pretty good sense of what is working and what the vibe of a song is, and how to chase after that. Recently, I’m really proud of this new album I am rolling out. It is called “Places In My Mind” and will be out in September. There are a lot of great artists and writers out in the world, and we all have something different to offer. I really value authenticity and chase in that in almost all I do, and as an artist, I am always trying to do whats best for the song. As a writer, I think I am a good story teller and know how to turn a phrase.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was always trying to be an entertainer. I loved singing and dancing, and also being the center of attention. Always getting in trouble at school for talking too much or interrupting with jokes. But I also loved sports and teamwork, along with a lot of competition. I wouldn’t say I was interested much in music, but as I got older, I began to be more drawn to it. My personality is probably pretty similar to how I am now, but my interests have changed a lot over the years. Growing up, I spent most of my time out in the driveway playing basketball, which is something I still love to do today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.callanbrownmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callanpbrown/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callanbrownmusic
- Twitter: https://x.com/_callanbrown
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@callanbrownmusic
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/callanbrownmusic
