Austin Brown
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Austin Brown

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The best kept secret in music

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"Highway 85 Destination: Austin Brown"

Important lessons, memorable moments, a great story, a barrage of feelings and emotions are all things that can be experienced when listening to music that hits all those notes in those who are listening.

Too often, today's music is about a gimmick, follows a theme -- or sets a trend or new catch phrase that many can't wait to have dropped from the common vernacular.

Then there are those moments where something so unique is heard that it hits all of those important notes -- at that point, it can't be helped what the emotional experience is from there. All that matters is that fun is being had while listening.

Austin Brown's Highway 85 Mix Tape is one of those experiences.

From beginning to end, an experience is to be had -- we all know that in every life experience comes a wide array of feelings to be felt during that time. Highway 85 is a journey that we've all been on at some point in our lives and after you've listened -- you discover that the revisit was enjoyable, you'll want to listen to this album time and time again just because of that.

It can almost be said that a certain sense of euphoria is felt in going back and re-exploring ironically what some would consider the most painful experiences in their lives.

Austin's ability to tell a story through good music is very present here. This album is his freshman project and if he is able to explore all of his life's experiences this uniquely at age 27 -- then we definitely have some great music to look forward to in the years to come.

Austin converses about his motivations, his inspirations, his style, his creation, and last but not least coming from a legendary family in the world of music.

You're reading a conversation with Austin and about Austin.

I just got through listening to Highway 85 -- wow, I have to congratulate you on a brilliant effort.

Thank you, so very much. That really does mean the world because we really worked hard and took the time to craft our own sound and just to have fun while doing it. The fact that you took the time to listen to it and that you actually dug it really does mean a lot. I'm just trying to grow all around as a musical artist and truly make things for my generation that can offer them a different perspective on music. I'm here to do it because I grew up listening to and loving so many different people. It seems that when I was younger the music from earlier periods gave you many different points of view, more than the music today. Hopefully, I can be one of those artists that offer different perspectives to people.

I believe the album accomplishes that -- not just from the perspective of listening to the lyrics, but in the fact that each song stretches across and touches so many different genres. Everything is in perfect harmony and the lyrics seem to make more sense than what's heard in most songs today. I've also noticed that there are a lot of songs out there today that sounds like they're right off of the demo track. It seems like the first try is the final cut.

I hear a lot of that in the music I listen to, even with the people that I'm a fan of. Sometimes you can tell where they were trying to go with the album and it might not give you a different kind of flavor because it might have been produced under stress or a deadline. I grew up listening to and articulating so many different styles of music. For me, it was very important that I be able to show every kind of style that inspired me to make music but at the same time having it all possess a synchronicity that is me and my voice.

In the aspect of establishing your own style, what is the underlying message in those songs?

It's telling real stories in my own way of love and heartbreak -- being someone in their 20s and experiencing confusion in life while trying to find their own way. It's a normal thing at this age.

That's great, even though music is a form of escapism I think it should channel real life.

I absolutely agree with you, Bryan; 100 percent.

So what can we come to expect from you as far as music short films go? What visual style are you hoping to accomplish?

The best example would be my last video, "Ménage à Trois." The main thing that I wanted to do was create something that gave reference to how fun the song was while telling a quirky story. I chose to do that instead of telling the story in a way that people would expect from the title of the song. I've always loved visuals, Gap ads, and fashion -- I've studied a fashion a lot. To me, it's about making those pictures come to life and to be about expression. With my visuals, it's always going to be approached in a different way and it'll be how I see and hear my sounds and my songs -- that's how I'll be providing perspective.

As far as sound is concerned, I've noticed and appreciated a point that music aficionad - Huffington Post


Discography

2013 Album: Highway 85

1. Highway To The Sky
2. Menage A Trois
3. Volcano
4. Where Were You
5. What Did I Lose To Love You
6. City Of Angels
7. F’d with my Mind (Explicit)
8. Stargazer
9. Groove 92
10. To Love Her
11. All I Need Feat. David Banner
12. Feel It Again

Photos

Bio

Austin Brown is a musician, singer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California.

Among his major influences are groundbreaking music legends Prince, Jeff Buckley, Lenny Kravitz and Michael Jackson.

Although he’s enjoyed singing and dancing all his life, and began taking piano lessons when he was four, it wasn’t until seventh grade that Austin first began to think seriously of a career in music. From a young age, he has focused on developing his skills as a performer and writer, including ghostwriting for several artists.

Austin credits his father Nathaniel as the driving force behind his early musical education, and while Nathaniel admitted to paying for piano lessons, he said music was always on Austin’s mind. “Music was the major thing for him,” he says. “I didn’t have to instill it because it just came naturally. From the day he was born, he was just inclined to making music.”

“We come from an entertainment family and all too often you hear of people that are in the business, or were raised in it, who put themselves in a position where they think they’re better than others,” says Austin’s mother, Rebbie Jackson. “It’s just a gift you have as an entertainer. Whatever you have, it was given to you. You’re not better than everybody else, but your talent can’t be taken away from you.”

Austin’s sound is a great hybrid of old and new. The style he has created is a combination of the soul and harmony of late 70s R&B, with the rhythms of modern electronic pop. This summer, Austin released his first album, Highway 85, on iTunes. Popular tracks are “Messed with My Mind”, “Menage” and “Highway To The Sky”.

Austin has performed on high-profile gigs including pop megastation KIIS-FM Los Angeles’ Wango Tango, Fox’s “Good Day NY”, BET’s “106 & Park”, Ryan Seacrest’s AXS Live, CNN’s SXSW stage and the 2013 BET Awards.