Andy Branton Talks New Music, Favourite Instruments And More

Singer-songwriter and musician Andy Branton has released a live video for the track ‘Younger Man’ and we were intrigued by his sound at JLTT. We asked to talk to him and he kindly agreed:

When did you begin songwriting?

I began trying to write way back as a kid. When my grandmother taught me to play piano I wanted to make little songs. I didn’t seriously give it a go until I was about 18 or 19.

What is your earliest musical memory?

This is such a great question. The early years blur together, but the strongest early memory is probably my grandmother transcribing a Mickey Gilley tune, “Room Full of Roses.” I remember her sitting by the cassette player rewinding it over and over again. She wrote up a little color-coded chart that my tiny fingers could play on her piano.

You released the live video for your track ‘Younger Man’. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?

“Younger Man” flips the script on the traditional “older man leaves wife and dates a scandalously young woman” trope. I drew from a few different experiences, but the main idea was inspired by a straight couple that my wife and I knew. She was a high achiever who spoke multiple languages, but he was a pothead with failure to launch vibes. She was about 8 or 10 years older than him. Their relationship never made sense to me. I joked with my wife that maybe she was just into younger men.

Some of the folks I met while gigging on the Gulf coast made their way into the tune. I met several recent divorcées over the course of a couple of seasons working down there. They would always be on the prowl. That sort of energy combined with the deep tan like, “brown butter in a pan,” made its way into the tune.

What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

Warren Hester who played drums in the video talks a lot about preparation and opportunity colliding. That’s basically what happened here. I’ve been making a concerted effort to book real venues with real stages – to put on an actual show rather than play a bar gig.
Warren has a good friend, Cory Hurst, who decided to drive Warren to our gig. He happened to have his camera with him. It was killer because he just decided to shoot some video for us.

Where did you originally record the song and who produced it?

I originally recorded the tune at Ol’ Elegante Studio in Birmingham, Alabama. I co-produced the tune with Lester Nuby III who runs Ol’ Elegante. We had some really great players on it: Adrian Marmolejo (Early James, Drunken Prayer, The Dirty Camaros), Brad Kuehner (Megan Lea, Blanton Reed), Daniel Raine (Little Raine Band), and Ford Boswell (Early James, The Dirty Camaros, Will Stewart).

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

The sessions for that album were such a good time. Everyone there was a great hang. For me, I remember marveling at the talent in the room. At one point I was saying I wished we had a harmonica player on the date. Daniel Raine, who was playing keys, goes, “I play harmonica. I’ve got them with me.” Not only did the man have a secret talent, he had them with him. Amazing.

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

Yes! I pretty much always play my Les Paul. It’s a heavily modified reissue of the 1960 Les Paul Classic. I’ve swapped most of the hardware and added a Bigsby vibrato on it. That guitar is on everything and goes to every electric gig.
For “Younger Man,” that Les Paul is going through a 1966 Fender Princeton Reverb. I might have overdubbed some guitar through a 1968 Fender Bronco, but I think everything on that tune is the Princeton.
I brought a 1964 Fender Twin and a Marshall JCM 2000 Dual Super Lead, but we didn’t even try them. The Princeton and Bronco were perfect.

Was it a difficult song to write?

Not at all. My wife and I wrote the whole tune pretty quickly, maybe one afternoon.

Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

Happiest – “Farthest Thing”
I started writing this with a cowriter a couple of years before my wife and I met. She later helped me finish it. Somehow, it’s for her, about her, but also by her. I’m proud of the lines, “I don’t know if I believe in love, but you make me want to. / I don’t know if I believe in love, but I think I love you.” It’ll be out on my next record.

Angriest – “Lonesome On’ry and Mean”
This might be cheating because the tune is actual by the great Steve Young. All the same, when I put this tune in my set I pour all my angst into it.
There is a scene from the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk the Line” where Sam Philips asks JR Cash to sing whatever he would sing if he were dying and only had one chance last chance to tell God how he felt about all of it. JR Cash sings “Walk the Line;” Steve Young sang “Lonesome On’ry and Mean.” I try to do it justice.

Most Reflective – “Front Porch Pickin”
I wrote this tune with my wife, and it will be out on my next record. It digs into the early days of learning to play guitar and what comes with it. I wrote it thinking about how much simpler my relationship to music was when I didn’t want to make a career doing it. It’s about searching to get back to a place where even wrong notes make me happy.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

I always hope that I’ve converted a casual listener into a fan. When I put more tunes out into the world there is a greater chance that they will hear them.
I usually also hope that I’ve played such hot shit guitar that the other guitar players in the room think I’m really good at it.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I talked about my Les Paul earlier. I play pretty much every gig with it and my ’66 Princeton Reverb. My pedalboard goes through changes periodically, but I always keep a select few pedals on there. I use both the Yellowcake Fried Gold and Yellow Furry Burrito the most. The Fried Gold is a phenomenal overdrive pedal. The Furry Burrito is a great fuzz with a voltage starve option. Lately I’ve been kicking it on more and more to get a thicker tone out of my guitar.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

My hometown is Coxey, Alabama: rural, red, religious, limestone, diesel.

How do you look after your voice?

In rehearsal I do not put 100% effort into singing. I shoot for 60%. I very rarely play a gig without a monitor, and I spend a lot of time in soundcheck making sure I can hear my voice clearly in the mix.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

I would love to write the score for an adaptation of Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. Music is so central to the plot of the story. I’d love to delve into the genre of music at the fictional Telegraph Club and help bring it to life.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

I’m influenced a lot by great writers and great players – folks like Guy Clark, Evan Ogden, John Fogerty, and Eddie Shaver.

Lately I’ve been spinning “Plain Dealing” by Pony Bradshaw and “In the Mornin’” by Emily Nenni. Bradshaw’s tune is a tune I wish I could write. It has country rock glory with witty lines. Nenni’s tune is such a great premise and just feels right.

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2025?

I don’t have any live dates in the UK/Europe for 2025 unfortunately.

Do you have any future music releases planned for 2025?

Yep! My next record, Travelin’ Days, will be out in early 2025. I’m excited to share the tunes.

What makes Andy Branton happy and what makes you unhappy?

Accomplishing something on my to do list makes me happy. It’s about the feeling and finality of accomplishment. The secret to gaming this and getting that sweet endorphin rush is to write down lots of little things.

Playing to a mostly empty venue makes me pretty unhappy. It happens sometimes. I’m usually able to keep it together at the gig. The next day can be hell.