Sometimes the best music comes out of intense personal tragedy. At 26 years old, rising country artist Jacob Bryant has survived and accomplished more than many have in an entire lifetime.
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Bryant's edgy, down-home sound mixes plenty of gritty electric guitar with sharp southern twang. His voice roars with the power of a seasoned perform, but still packs a youthful punch. While traditional and pop-leaning country still have plenty of new purveyors in Nashville, Bryant represents the crowd that seems more sonically inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd or the Allman Brothers.
He honed his skills as a kid, learning guitar at the age of eight and playing in his family's bluegrass band. Over the years, he developed his own sound and began hitting local bars and venues. In 2010, his world turned upside down when his mother unexpectedly died in her sleep. His devastation lead to an alcohol and cocaine addiction, but he Bryant found solace in songwriting. That life-changing experience birthed "This Side of Sober," a track that tackles the emotional pain and constant struggles of addition.
Last year, he released his EP Up In Smoke, which features rocking honky tonk anthems alongside soaring love songs. With a new focus and plenty of material at hand, Bryant has since been busy in the studio working on what we can only hope to be his full-length debut. With so much wisdom at such a young age and plenty of potential still untapped, Bryant is an artist you don't want to sleep on.
What He Sounds Like: The soulful vibe of Jamey Johnson, the power of Lee Brice and youthful grittiness of Brantley Gilbert.
Required Listening: "This Side of Sober" a devastatingly honest track that visits the struggle of addiction and its rippling effects on every aspect of life.
