Interview with Brandon Maddox

Interview
with Brandon Maddox
Lamitschka:
 Music has many new fans throughout Europe who may be hearing
about you for the first time. How would you describe yourself and the
music you play to someone who has never seen or heard you?
Brandon
Maddox:  I would describe that its a mixture between Blake
Shelton and George Strait mixed with the cleverness of Brad Paisley.
 It doesn’t necessarily reflect the trend and the way that pop
country seems to be going, with the ambigious lyric but rather
harkens back to the George Strait and John Michael Montgomery tunes
of the 90’s.
Lamitschka:
 How was the last year for you? What were your highlights?
Brandon
Maddox:  It was definitely a ground breaking year for me. Making
lots of new fans, seeing my social media start to take off, and the
completion of my new Weightless“ EP which was produced by Doug
Sisemore, Reba’s long time band leader and keyboard player.  My
song “Honk if You’re Country” was featured in an
independent movie about Nashville called “Unconditional.” 
Lamitschka:
 What is your latest CD and how’s it doing?
Brandon
Maddox: It’s called “Weightless.” Its a five track EP
featuring some of the very best studio musicians in Nashville.  The
single “You Get Me That Way” is now being played on XM and
secondary market radio stations.  I just got back from filming
two music videos for the album this past weekend. The video “Picture
Perfect” had a casting call and was shot in several different
locations across Stroudsburg, PA. An article written about the video
was featured on CBS Money Watch and had over 700,000 headline
reviews. 
Lamitschka:
 How did you choose the title for the CD?  Is there a story
behind the name?
Brandon
Maddox: “Weightless” is the first song on the album.  It
has always been one of my favorite songs that I have written because
I could hear what it would sound like with full production.  The
track turned out amazing and it was everything and more that I
imagined it would be.
Lamitschka:
 Do you write the songs yourself? If not, how do you go about
finding the songs for your CD?
Brandon
Maddox: I have a catalog of over 760 original tunes, so it was harder
to narrow down what songs to put on the album. I never had the need
to look outside my catalog for songs.  I’ve written with some
really great songwriters including Grammy Award winners, and very
successful artists. 
Lamitschka:
 Please tell us about the songs on your album (influences, etc).
Brandon
Maddox: The songs on the album are diverse, ranging from traditional
sounding George Strait and Chris Young vibes to the rocking sounds of
Jason Aldean.  Some of my influences include George Strait, The
Eagles, The Beatles, and Brad Paisley.
Lamitschka:
 What is the difference between your last CD and your current
one?
Brandon
Maddox: Well, Christian, the production quality would have to be
number one on the list here. The first cd was mainly a collection of
demos and this cd is a full blown record. 
Lamitschka:
 Your current single is being played by radio. What do you feel
is special about this song that makes people want to hear it?
Brandon
Maddox: “You Get Me That Way” has always been a crowd
pleaser and an often requested original.  It has a strong lyric,
a catchy groove, and people like to dance to it!
Lamitschka:
 What will your next single be?
Brandon
Maddox: Mostly likely, the next single will be “Picture
Perfect.” It seems to have an universal appeal and has already
gotten lots of attention in the press.
Lamitschka:
 What kind of songs do you like to record the most?
Brandon
Maddox:  I like songs that tell a story and give snapshots of
real life.
Lamitschka:
 You did a duet with 2x American Idol Finalist, Hunter Monroe.
How did that happen to come about?
Brandon
Maddox: Hunter Monroe, signed to CILA Management, was asked by CILA
to sing one of my original songs with me. The song “Only God
Knows” had already reached the top 12 on the Powersource
Christian/ Country Charts recorded by an artist named, Larissa
Lundstrom. It was well received in Stroudsburg when we did the duet
last weekend, and even was a song some people said was their
favorite! 
Lamitschka:
 What is your favorite song among all the songs you have
recorded and what’s the story behind it?
Brandon
Maddox: My favorite song that I’ve recorded would be “A Day in
the Life of a Guitar Man.”  It was inspired by the day to
day struggles of a musician. 
Lamitschka:
 How much creative control do you have over your music?
Brandon
Maddox: I have complete creative control over my music. Due to not
having a staff writing deal, there is no one telling me what I should
or shouldn’t write about. 
Lamitschka:
 Who inspires you musically and how deep do your musical roots
run?
Brandon
Maddox: I taught myself to play guitar by using a Beatles songbook my
dad had.  I grew up hearing the songs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s
and I think they had more of an impact on me than I realized until I
really started to write songs of my own.  Then I got into
Bluegrass and for a few years performed and jammed at Bluegrass
festivals. I finally got into country and from there I put together
the mix of everything I’d liked so much about each of these phases of
important music in my life. 
Lamitschka:
 What do you think about today’s music scene versus its post and
where do you see it going in the future?
Brandon
Maddox: Seeing where country music has come from, it seems like it is
less about talent and more about the almighty dollar.  I much
prefer when talent was more of a key factor in determining success in
the music business. It seems like people in the country music
business are making more short sided decisions than they were in the
past.  I expect this trend to continue. 
Lamitschka:
 What do you think about today’s music industry?
Brandon
Maddox: The industry today seems like it is making its decisions out
of fear rather than on calculated risks. Record labels shoot
themselves in the foot by choosing artists who may not be as talented
but have investors with deep pockets that will help eliminate the
costs for the label if the artist does not break. 
Lamitschka:
 As an artist, you so many tasks such as recording, touring,
interviews. What do you like best, what’s your favorite activity?
Brandon
Maddox: Playing shows and touring would definitely be my favorite
part of being an artist. The rush that I feel on stage assures me
that I was born for this.
Lamitschka:
 Are you doing anything to take music beyond its current borders
or are you happy where it is?
Brandon
Maddox: I’m always striving to go above and beyond and expand the
borders and parameters be it geographically or stylistically.  
Lamitschka:
 What inspired you to become a songwriter?
Brandon
Maddox: While teaching myself to play the guitar and learning out of
Beatles books, I noticed songs were all written by John Lennon and
Paul McCartney.  Since they were my early heroes as far as
artists and musicians, I was inspired to be just like them. Soon
after that, I began writing my first songs.
Lamitschka:
 Many music fans today get their information about artists
online. Do you have your own website and what will fans find there?
Brandon
Maddox: www.brandonmaddoxmusic.com
is my website.  You can purchase CD’s and T-shirts there, see
my latest blogs and tour schedule, as well as follow me on Facebook
and Twitter. 
Christian
Lamitschka ( Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de )

Related Posts

Billie Jo Jones Interview

By Big Al Weekley for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show

BIGG VINNY Interview

By Big Al Weekley for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show

Becky Buller Interview

By Big Al Weekley for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show

Annie Bosko Interview

By Big Al Weekley for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *