Since moving to Nashville from Tampa in 2005, Bryan Edwards has become one of the city’s hottest up and coming singer/songwriters. He has performed for thousands in opening spots for some of the biggest names in country music, including Keith Urban, Charlie Daniels, Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean and Martina McBride. We had the pleasure of interviewing Bryan recently and we hope you enjoy his answers and music as much as we do!

TH: What inspires your music?
Bryan: My music is heavily influenced by my relationships, past and present. There tends to be a lot of anger and sorrow, mixed with introspective thought and a touch a love in my music. You know, Country music is supposed to be about real life, good and bad. But I think the negative side of life has been ignored in the genre, lately. It has become the genre of comedic relief, not necessarily heartache. So, I’m excited and hopeful that I can bring back (or move it forward), to a more realistic point of view, in whatever little way I can, and still write and sing entertaining songs.

TH: How do the music scenes in Nashville and Tampa compare/differ from each other?
Bryan: Tampa is my hometown and I played in and around that area for a while before I moved to Nashville. There are some really great opportunities to play in Tampa for country artists. Lots of great venues and clubs and they have one of the best country radio stations in the United States (99.5 WQYK) that always brings major acts through the area, which could offer some great opening slots. The beach gigs are fun to play too. I would say it’s definitely easier to develop a passionate and dedicated fan base in a non-music industry market like Tampa. But, I do think the opportunities to be heard by the right industry people who can make a difference in your career, long-term, are not nearly as available as they are in Nashville.

Along with that, one of the most beneficial things about playing in Nashville are the networking and collaboration opportunities. You can go in to any random bar or writer’s night on any given day of the week and hear someone that could potentially become someone you work well with. The competition is better, which has a way of weeding out the less dedicated as well, and definitely puts me in a mind-set of always needing to improve and be on my A-game. I love both places though!

TH: What advice would you offer to someone else starting out in your field?
Bryan: I don’t think there is a wrong or a right way of going about achieving success. I will say that moving to Nashville and getting connected to other writers and organizations as quickly as possible was really helpful to me. So, I would encourage others to find their local NSAI chapters, their closest NARAS chapters, etc, and just see what sort of networking and co-writing opportunities you can find. In more general terms, I think it’s important to work hard on your writing, to always be a student (i.e. Never think that you know it all), and most importantly, have an undying positive attitude. I’m not saying to always have your head in the clouds and ignore the toughness of the music business. But the way you handle the heat will determine how bad you want it, and it will be hot! So, be patient and positive and take victory in the little things; they will sustain you.

TH: If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be, and what would be the nature of the project?
Bryan: I think a really cool collaboration for me would be to write an album with both Rodney Crowell and Coldplay. Rodney writes crazy good lyrics and I love Coldplay’s melodic vibe.

TH: What is (or would be) your signature karaoke song?
Bryan: “Friends In Low Places” – because if I’m singing karaoke, I’m probably drunk with everyone else in the bar.

Bryan on the Web: Facebook | Talenthouse | Twitter