Brian Fuente
Gig Seeker Pro

Brian Fuente

| SELF

| SELF
Band Rock Pop

Calendar

Music

Press


"Brian Fuente Releases His Debut EP '1983'"



Coming off his appearance on NBC’s “The Voice” last season, Nashville singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist BRIAN FUENTE is self-releasing his debut solo EP 1983 tomorrow, Tuesday, October 16, on all digital retailers. To celebrate the occasion, that night FUENTE and his band The Shadows will hit the stage at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville at 7pm. Fans not in Nashville can watch the show streaming live at http://www.livestream.com/3rdlindsley. FUENTE is also offering fans a free download of the song “No By Now” exclusively at http://www.brianfuente.com/1983.

“I sat down at the drawing board shortly after my time on ‘The Voice’ and was trying to figure out where I wanted to go creatively with my first EP as a solo artist,” explains FUENTE. “I started listening back to some of the music that inspired me to get into music in the first place. I grew up around a lot of R&B as well as 80's pop. I grew up listening to everything from Tears For Fears to Duran Duran; Michael Jackson to obscure pop bands like Cock Robin. When I was listening back to some of those early inspirations, I thought that it would be really cool to write and record something that set me back in a time and place where I discovered my love for music. 1983 is the year I was born.”

The five-song EP pays homage to that decade of undeniably addictive pop with a modern twist. Propelled by BRIAN’s rich, at times gritty, vocals sung with an abundance of passion and conviction, 1983 is sure to please his ever-growing group of loyal fans--over 4,000 Facebook fans and over 5,000 Twitter followers--while drawing in new fans and further establishing BRIAN’s place in music.

FUENTE--formerly a member of the now-defunct indie rock band Newmatic--was eager to tackle this new project as a solo artist and took complete creative control with guidance from some notable Nashville players. BRIAN laid down guitar, bass, keys, percussion and vocals and self-produced all the new songs, except for “Slow Down Steven” which was co-produced and recorded with Chris Grainger (Wilco, Switchfoot, Luna Halo, Kyle Andrews, The Five Knives) at his studio. The drums were recorded at The Sound Emporium in Nashville while the remainder of the tracking was completed in BRIAN’s home studio known as “The Fountain.” The songs were mixed at Blackbird Studios and mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Andrew Mendelson (The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon) at Georgetown Masters Nashville.

The Ridgeland, MS-native, Nashville-based musician also got the opportunity to take in a few successful songwriting sessions for 1983. The fourth song of the collection, “Why’d You Have to Be So Beautiful” was written with Michael Natter--co-writer for Jason Mraz’s latest hit single “I Wont Give Up”--and Michael Logan. “Josie” was written with Nashville writer and artist Shelley Fairchild.

BRIAN’s intention is to offer fans something fresh coupled with the infectious 80s throwback vibe. “I decided to throw in an epic sax solo in ‘Sidelined’ because I can't remember the last time I heard a sax solo in a rock song...so why the hell not?” FUENTE says. “Lead off song ‘No By Now’ is quite different from the other tracks because it includes a full horn section and definitely has more of an R&B feel.”

His father a guitar player and mother a jazz vocalist, BRIAN was born into music. He picked up a guitar at age 9. Self-taught, he started writing music early and began showing off his guitar skills to the public performing in between his mom's sets at local clubs, honing his performing skills and garnering a diverse, local following.

In 2007, BRIAN found his way to Nashville hoping to be seen and heard by the industry that mattered most. He embedded himself in the music scene and put together his first Nashville band, Newmatic. The band gained an increasingly loyal audience within the area but BRIAN was determined to show the world what he was all about and in the summer of 2011, he auditioned for the hit TV reality competition “The Voice.” His version of Grace Potter's “Paris” earned him a spot on Team Blake (Shelton) and the chance to work alongside Shelton and Kelly Clarkson.

Track listing for 1983:

1. No By Now

2. Josie

3. Slow Down Steven

4. Why'd You Have to Be So Beautiful

5. Sidelined - Today's Nashville


"The Voice's Brian Fuente: I felt numb when Blake Shelton turned around"

The Voice contestant Brian Fuente has said that he "almost felt numb" when coach Blake Shelton turned around.

The 28-year-old singer became a member of Team Blake when the country star pressed his button during Fuente's blind audition performance of 'Paris (Ooh La La)' on Monday night (February 13).

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, he said: "When Blake turned around, I almost felt numb. It was like, 'OK, this just happened!?'

"I just went out there and it felt so amazing to be on the stage, first of all, but then when that happened, it was like, 'OK, wow I am on this show, this is the real deal and this is the coolest feeling I've ever had!'"

He added: "The smile on Blake's face was so great and it's cool to be a part of that whole experience."

Digital Spy

Home
Breaking News
TV Recaps

Video
Photos
Play Games

TV
Reality TV
Gaming
Tech
Movies
Comics
Music
Celebrity
Bollywood
Weird

Home > Reality TV > The Voice > News

Saturday, November 10, 2012
Reality TV

The Voice
Dancing with the Stars
Survivor
The X Factor
American Idol
The Amazing Race

The Voice's Brian Fuente: I felt numb when Blake Shelton turned around
Published Thursday, Feb 16 2012, 6:00pm EST | By Lara Martin | Add comment
Recommend 0
Tweet 1
0
Email this story
The Voice contestant Brian Fuente has said that he "almost felt numb" when coach Blake Shelton turned around.

The 28-year-old singer became a member of Team Blake when the country star pressed his button during Fuente's blind audition performance of 'Paris (Ooh La La)' on Monday night (February 13).

The Voice S02E03 - Blind Auditions - Brian Fuente - Team Blake

© NBC Universal


Speaking to reporters on a conference call, he said: "When Blake turned around, I almost felt numb. It was like, 'OK, this just happened!?'

"I just went out there and it felt so amazing to be on the stage, first of all, but then when that happened, it was like, 'OK, wow I am on this show, this is the real deal and this is the coolest feeling I've ever had!'"

He added: "The smile on Blake's face was so great and it's cool to be a part of that whole experience."

Watch Brian Fuente introduce himself below:



Fuente, who previously worked with a band, told Carson Daly before his audition that he would have been happy for any of the coaches to turn around, describing them all as "amazing".

He added: "I don't think I've made it in the industry yet because I've always relied on other people. I look back and think, 'If I could have only focused on myself the past five years, where would I be?'"
- digitalspy.com


"Brian Fuente On Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson and Life After The Voice"

Brian Fuente is not your average reality star. Before auditioning with Grace and the Nocturnals’ “Paris (Ooh La La),” Fuente was a graphic artist in Nashville who played in an independent rock band on the side. Newmatic was the band and they saw moderate success before Fuente decided to focus on his graphic design business. Last year “The Voice” contacted his manager at the time, inquiring if any artists would like to audition for the show. At first Fuente was unsure if he could leave his band behind and make the jump.

“I didn’t want to disappoint them or let them down,” he shared with me during a recent phone interview. “I slept on it and said, ‘what the hell, I’ll do this.’ At first I thought it wasn’t my thing. I didn’t think I was cut out for television.” Lucky for us Fuente attended a private audition in Nashville with three songs prepared. After one and half songs the talent scouts stopped him and told him it was “good.” After four weeks of anticipation, Fuente learned he made the cut. “I was nervous to tell the members of my band, but they were super excited for me.”

Though Fuente was use to being in front of a band, he didn’t have trouble adjusting to being in the spotlight solo. “I’m so use to having the guys there as my crutch, and I think once I got it in my head that I was doing it on my own it became easier,” he said. “I’ll never forget the first time I did the Nashville audition, it had been forever since I did a solo gig. It was definitely new to me.” During the blind auditions Fuente earned a spot on Team Blake. Blake Shelton wanted a rocker on his team and Fuente was just that.

During the battle round he was paired up against punk rocker Jordis Unga with Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic.” At first he didn’t think it would be hard singing the song that was written for a female voice, but as he and Unga practiced he felt that she had the upper hand. “It was clearly cut out for a female. I’ve never really heard of a guy singing this song,” he explained. “I didn’t even see anyone on YouTube that was a male that sang that song. I did my best.“

While preparing for the battle round, Kelly Clarkson mentored Fuente. Before entering the barn, he had no idea who to expect at rehearsal. “”Kelly is so humble and cool and easy to work with,” Fuente said. “Just the experience alone of working with her, it was such a confidence builder. She’s one of the best vocalist in the world and continues to have success. It was nice to work with someone who had such success and was in my position before.:

Fuente also had nothing but great things to say about working with Shelton. “What you see on TV and Twitter is who he is,“ he reminisced. “He’s a humble guy and he seems to really care about the show.” Shelton welcomed his team into his home with open arms. “We went to his home in California and it was like going to a family member’s house. I’ll never forget having dinner at his place. We were at the table and he was sitting on the floor.”

Despite his hard work and connection with Shelton, Fuente was eliminated during the battle rounds. He doesn’t see the experience as a failure though because his career is already benefiting from his short time on TV. Just last week he was in Austin performing at SXSW because of his fame. People are even starting to recognize him on the street. “When I was in Austin people would recognize me,” he shared. “People would recognize you at the coffee shop. I consider myself pretty humble, but I’ve gotten use to it. TV can be an overnight success. No record label can put you in front of that many people.”

After elimination, Fuente has no hard feelings against The Voice or any of the contestants or judges. During auditions and rehearsals, Team Blake became a family and he still supports them through their journey. “The cool thing about The Voice is that 95% of people on the show were actually musicians,“ he said. “That’s what sets this show apart. We continue to support each other.”

If you love Brian Fuente, check out his five-piece solo project. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter for the latest news on his “big projects” in the very near future. - unrealitytv.com


"The Voice's Brian Fuente Webcasting EP Release Show"

Brian Fuente who was on "The Voice" last season, is self-releasing his debut solo EP, 1983, digitally today and plans a special live (and online) event to celebrate.

Fuente and his band The Shadows will hit the stage at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville tonight (Oct 16) at 7pm. Fans not in Nashville can watch the show streaming live here. Fuente is also offering fans a free download of the song "No By Now" here.

"I sat down at the drawing board shortly after my time on 'The Voice' and was trying to figure out where I wanted to go creatively with my first EP as a solo artist," explains Fuente. "I started listening back to some of the music that inspired me to get into music in the first place. I grew up around a lot of R&B as well as 80's pop. I grew up listening to everything from Tears For Fears to Duran Duran; Michael Jackson to obscure pop bands like Cock Robin. When I was listening back to some of those early inspirations, I thought that it would be really cool to write and record something that set me back in a time and place where I discovered my love for music. 1983 is the year I was born."

Brian laid down guitar, bass, keys, percussion and vocals and self-produced all the new songs, except for "Slow Down Steven" which was co-produced and recorded with Chris Grainger (Wilco, Switchfoot, Luna Halo, Kyle Andrews, The Five Knives) at his studio.

The drums were recorded at The Sound Emporium in Nashville while the remainder of the tracking was completed in BRIAN's home studio known as "The Fountain."

The songs were mixed at Blackbird Studios and mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer Andrew Mendelson (The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Kings of Leon) at Georgetown Masters Nashville. - Antimusic.com


"Brian Fuente "The Voice" To Remember"


Brian Fuente: “The Voice” To Remember
September 18, 2012 by Susan Nieman

Imagine growing your Facebook page from 150 to more than 3,500 international followers in less than two hours. That’s what happened this past February when Brian Fuente captured the attention of country music star Blake Shelton during Brian’s blind audition on NBC’s hit TV reality competition “The Voice.”“My life has not been quite the same since Blake turned his chair,” said the 28-year-old singer, songwriter who has been performing since he was a young boy in Ridgeland, Mississippi, just outside of Jackson.

“Never in my entire life have I been more excited about music,” said the outwardly excited Brian, who was taking a short break during the final mixing process of his new self-produced and engineered EP. (That’s music jargon for extended play album, meaning not as many songs as a full album.) “There have been many great songs recorded here,” Brian said of Blackbird Studio where I met him on a rainy July afternoon.

Even though “The Voice” aired in February Brian’s TV experience began more than a year ago when he was asked to audition for the producers of the show. “It was surreal, weird and different,” he said of his experience. He could not talk to ANYONE about the audition. (Jewish Scene even tried getting an interview at the time).“It took a lot out of me and it’s nice, now, getting back into myself.”

I made a lot of friends on the show and connections across the country, he explained.“When I got home I decided to turn my TV fans into music fans.”

Although it was awkward at first for Brian to kick-start his solo career without Newmatic, the band he formed after moving to Nashville in 2007, he is excited about his new project.

“This is the most sophisticated thing I have ever done,” said Brian.“The people who have heard it say, ‘Dude this is something I’ve never heard before.’”

“I can’t wait for you to hear it,” he exclaimed. “I took a chance. It’s a throw back to the 80s, with hints of Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross and Pat Benatar. What I hope is that when people listen they will remember a time and place – where they were back then.The 80s are coming back.”

At the time of the interview Brian had not yet titled the EP, but he had a pretty good idea for the name. “I don’t want to say anything yet,” he said. “Things can always change at the last minute.”

Brian’s unique, audience-catching raspy voice has captured the attention of people almost his entire life. As the product of a jazz-singing mother and guitar-playing father, Brian began playing at age 9 in between his mom sets at local clubs. His mom, Lisa Palmer, learned the lyrics to many of his songs to perform with him.At 13 he began writing songs.“I have hundreds,” he said.“I’ve written 30 new songs this year.”

As a young boy, Brian sang with the Beth Israel Congregation choir, taught himself how to play guitar and performed with his mom at bar and bat mitzvahs around Mississippi.

He released a solo CD at age 17 and an EP and a few singles with Newmatic. Since his audition and joining Team Blake on “The Voice,” Brian performed at the Gulfport (Mississippi) Music Festival in May, sharing the stage with Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship and from “The Voice,” Mr. Adam Levine and Maroon 5.

Brian, who had not watched “The Voice” before his audition, was astounded by its impact on his career. “There were hundreds of fans waiting to get my autograph after the Festival,” he said.“I had no idea about its power as a TV show.”

Brian, also a graphic designer, now spends 99 percent of his time involved with his music – more than 100 hours for 14.2 minutes on this EP alone.

“No matter how successful I may become, I always hope to be able to do my own thing,” said Brian. “If you don’t take risks, I find it more difficult to become successful. What I am doing now makes me happy as a person and as an artist.” - Jewish Scene Magazine


Discography

"1983" - EP released in October 2012

Photos

Bio

Growing up the son of a jazz vocalist mother and a guitarist father in a small Mississippi town outside of Jackson gives you a pedigree and some pretty fertile musical soil from which to grow. Picking up a guitar at age 9, Brian Fuente started writing music early and began showing off his guitar skills to the public performing in between his mom's sets at local clubs.

20 years later, that self-t
aught 9 year old's honed skills come off as natural as Brian possesses the kind of magnetism and talent as a vocalist that captures you from the moment you first hear his voice. When Brian Fuente takes the stage, he takes the room. With vocals rich and captivating, and roots brought to bear, Brian emanates passion and conviction in every performance.

In 2007, Brian moved to Nashville to join a larger community of artists, embedding himself in the music scene and putting together his first Nashville band, Newmatic. Brian wrote like a madman and took Newmatic from obscurity to popularity quickly, gaining an increasingly loyal audience. Itching to show the world what he was all about, in the summer of 2011, the singer auditioned for the hit TV reality competition, The Voice. His version of Grace Potter's "Paris" earned him a spot on Team Blake [Shelton] and the chance to work alongside Shelton and Kelly Clarkson.

Catapulted from his success on The Voice, Brian has since shared the stage with Maroon 5, Gym Class Heroes, and Cobra Starship. Poised and ready to take on the world, in October Brian released his solo project, 1983. The making of the record involved writing and recording with some of Nashville's finest and getting back to the heart of his earliest creative beginnings.

"I sat down at the drawing board shortly after my time on The Voice and was trying to figure out where I wanted to go creatively with my first EP as a solo artist. I started listening back to some of the music that inspired me to get into music in the first place. I grew up around a lot of R&B as well as 80's pop. I grew up listening to everything from Tears For Fears to Duran Duran, Michael Jackson to obscure pop bands like Cock Robin. So when I was listening back at some of those early inspirations, I thought that it would be really cool to write and record something that set me back in a time and place where I discovered my love for music. 1983 was the year I was born."

The production is reminiscent of a variety of those influencing artists with a modern twist, blending real kit drums with a digital snare to give it that 80's pop feel. The drums were recorded at The Sound Emporium in Nashville. The rest of the tracking was done at Brian's home studio, "The Fountain," mixed at Blackbird Studios and mastered by Andrew Mendelson at Georgetown Mastering Nashville.

Brian self-produced the record with the exception of "Slow Down Steven" which was co-produced and recorded with the talented, Chris Grainger (Wilco, Switchfoot, Luna Halo, Kyle Andrews, The Five Knives), at his studio.

The first song "No By Now' is quite different from the other tracks because it includes a full horn section and definitely has more of an R&B feel. "I decided to throw in an epic sax solo in Sidelined because I can't remember the last time I heard a sax solo in a rock song...so why the hell not?"

Taking further advantage of Brian's collaborative immersion the Nashville community, "Why'd You Have to Be So Beautiful" was written with 2 notable writers Michael Natter (Jason Mraz - I won't Give Up) and Nashville writer Michael Logen. "Josie" was written with Nashville writer and artist Shelley Fairchild. All other songs were written with keyboard player Brian Carrion.