Bryan Roach

Meet our friend, Bryan Roach. Bryan is an incredibly talented musician, singer, songwriter, creative & friend. In this episode he shares his background story from musicals to a record deal to burnout and a 10 year music writing hiatus. This is a story of how many creatives struggle, those of us with perfectionist tendencies have to learn to let go, and the power of having safe allies with whom we can safely bounce our ideas. 

What is extraordinary about Bryan’s story is the redemptive power of faith. Letting go of control, trusting God, and experiencing spiritual growth led to a restoration of things once thought lost. Sarah and Will played witness to and are champions of a revitalization in Bryan’s creative life. That’s something good!

In November 2021, after a decade away from songwriting and recording, Bryan released a new album called The Matthew 6 Project. We are blessed to be part of his music writing hiatus coming to an end and even more excited to share the beginnings of the Matthew 6 Project. 

Stay tuned for next episode to hear more about the Matthew 6 Project. It is definitely something good!

Discover more about our guests:

http://matthew6project.com/

All the links: https://linktr.ee/matthew6project

Favorite quotes from the episode:

"I play the pong at a pretty high level."

“[Winchester - the Shi Tzu] takes all the attention I used to get from my wife.”

Sarah is “intimidating and unapproachable.”

“The big thing for any new guitar player is learning bar chords.”

“Seeing Hamilton without Lin Manuel Miranda is like seeing the Alanis Morissette musical without her in it.”

“I’ve always been surrounded by incredible musicians.”

“I could literally talk for hours how amazing [my wife Julie] is.”

“An important component for a creative person is to have a peer to bounce something off of.”

“Especially as a creator you need a safe place to share something that could potentially could be a bad idea.”

“To this day I feel like I was put on this planet to make music.”

“Everyone needs a Kim in their life.”

Fun questions from the episode:

Is a Golden Milk latte really a latte in the absence of espresso?

What is your favorite musical?

Do you think Bryan looks like Kevin Bacon?

Have you ever had a challenge letting go of control?

What song impacts your heart and soul in a deeply personal way? 

Share your thoughts: podcast@sarahgood.com

Now That's Something Good Podcast by Sarah Good is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Show notes may contain affiliate links. This is at no extra cost to you but does help support telling more stories that bring more good. Now that is something good! Thank you for your kind support.

Transcript

Sarah:
[3:16] Hey friends we are back at it and I'm in the fun now that's something good podcast studio with my friend Bryan. Bryan say hi how you feeling about.

Bryan:
[3:24] Hi first thing I did was first thing I do is tap my coffee mug would you just tell me.

Sarah:
[3:29] He's already gotten reprimanded for tapping the coffee cup on the table what are you drinking in your coffee cup.

Bryan:
[3:33] An Ethiopian single source.

Sarah:
[3:39] So you need to know because here's the deal I got to ask you a real big question real fast.

Bryan:
[3:43] Yeah.

Sarah:
[3:45] Have you ever listened to an episode of now that's something good.

Bryan:
[3:47] Not all the way through no.

Sarah:
[3:49] It's alright it's okay but what you have missed out on is really serious about a coffee here and what beverages people.

Bryan:
[3:55] Oh okay.

Sarah:
[3:56] So you had the partly picked this coffee because will gave it to you.

Bryan:
[4:00] That's true.

Sarah:
[4:01] Are you normally a coffee drinker.

Bryan:
[4:02] Yes of course you know that.

Sarah:
[4:03] I know but nobody listening those that have to ask you questions that I'm not I don't know that's how this works so if you were not here what's your Starbucks drink I know this to join me just answer my own question.

Bryan:
[4:14] No you don't have to it's just a venti Pike with light cream.

Sarah:
[4:17] Starbucks your coffee place of choice if you could go somewhere else in the st. Louis area where did you go.

Bryan:
[4:21] I like upshot I just don't yeah I think I go to Starbucks just by just because it's easy,
it's I don't actually think it's the best coffee,
I just like it and I know it and it's consistent and I'm not enough of a coffee snob that you know.

Sarah:
[4:41] Okay so go back to upshot for a second.

Bryan:
[4:43] Yeah I would like when I go there I'm like wow that's amazing coffee it's always super.

Sarah:
[4:46] Do you like turmeric you like like weird like when you try different things okay next time you go.

Bryan:
[4:51] I mean sometimes I like it I won't try anything.

Sarah:
[4:54] You need to get a golden milk latte just try.

Bryan:
[4:57] I don't do lattes but not because I won't.

Sarah:
[5:00] It ignored Ivan actually coffee right will he can there's not coffee in it it's misleading maybe it's not called a golden milk latte.

Bryan:
[5:08] Maybe a lot a lot.

Sarah:
[5:09] Upshot we need you.

Bryan:
[5:10] Mission doesn't mean it doesn't mean coffee.

Sarah:
[5:13] Well we're going to have to Google search that someone let us know I think it does it has to be it's the way they espressos with the milk that's why they're all different names cappuccino macchiato it's all based on how much milk foam milk is in with the espresso yeah.

Bryan:
[5:24] Really oh yeah no I didn't know that.

Sarah:
[5:27] Look you just learned something new.

Bryan:
[5:29] I just do I just I figure the coffee is already expensive enough that if I get used to the fancy stuff you know my budget just goes up and just seems a little unnecessary.

Sarah:
[5:39] Fair enough okay well that big.

Bryan:
[5:41] And we drink a lot of coffee at my house.

Sarah:
[5:44] You do drink but what's your trick you don't drink.

Bryan:
[5:46] We drink half-caff that's true yeah we go we just we grind it and then we shake it all together and then Brew it
we used to be a used to be French Press exclusively but yeah we finished the basement we put a pot down there so that we could make coffee for guests and we just.

Sarah:
[6:07] Now you just use it you use it all the time.

Bryan:
[6:09] French friends anymore because it's too easy to just make a pot of coffee.

Sarah:
[6:12] Speaking of your basement we just need to talk about that for a second because you have a really nice basement would you like to tell.

Bryan:
[6:16] Thanks.

Sarah:
[6:18] What's in your basement you said a bar.

Bryan:
[6:20] There's a bar sure there's a there's a there's a.

Sarah:
[6:25] Favorite part of your basement do you think.

Bryan:
[6:27] Hmm maybe the shelves maybe yeah the shelves those were my those are my that was my wife's idea the built-ins behind the couch.

Sarah:
[6:36] Yeah but you have special things hanging in some of the shelves.

Bryan:
[6:39] Hmmm oh hanging guitars yeah.

Sarah:
[6:42] You know what I'm talking about yes I was like you really don't know what I'm talking about right now.

Bryan:
[6:47] Yeah yeah some my friend the guy that did our basement I can plug him if you want his name is Chris
his name's Chris Hamer he's he's an unbelievable artist he he takes his time admittedly but he does,
beautiful work he did a basement for a friend of mine
and I walked down into his basement and I was like what on Earth am I looking at and he had built a bunch of shelves for his my friends a drummer and he built a bunch of chefs he had think maybe had 12,
12 snares in the wall in these like finished finished shelves with like Puck lights over him and I mean just looked
unbelievable and so we struck up a conversation with this guy and he kind of wanted to do I think he likes I think he likes working with people who are you know who have like the music,
interest just because I don't know I have no idea why actually but yeah he was kind of he was kind of hell-bent on putting the guitars on the walls and I was like mmm but the way that the way that he did it looks looks pretty amazing,
yeah and there's a ping-pong table.

Sarah:
[7:58] How come you never asked me to play ping pong.

Bryan:
[8:01] Because I just assumed you weren't very good at it.

Sarah:
[8:04] I'd be offended if that was not a completely correct assumption and you know me well enough to know that a probably not something I would be doing but you know what.

Bryan:
[8:09] I play the pong at a relatively high level so I.

Sarah:
[8:15] Wow so not only am I not I'm not good enough to play not play with you I couldn't hold my own.

Bryan:
[8:21] No I actually find it really therapeutic so I will hit the ball back and forth with absolutely anybody but I do prefer it's more therapeutic for me if I'm if I'm hitting with somebody.

Sarah:
[8:33] Person can is actually.

Bryan:
[8:35] So that way you can just sort of hit it back like I could care less if I compete although that's fun too but.

Sarah:
[8:41] Wait what do you mean you could like your what do you mean by compete on ping pong have you been in a ping pong competition.

Bryan:
[8:49] That's not what I mean I mean if we like keep score and play first of all I have,
like a formal one but my friend and I actually did go to I'd say maybe three or four on three or four occasions we went to the there's What's called the USATT
organizations you I think it's United States Association of table tennis or something like that and they meet there's there's chapters and I think there are at least two or three in the st. Louis area and those people are not
playing around I mean we went in there the first day and Brad and I my friend we both got beat by seven year olds and 70 year olds.

Sarah:
[9:29] That's amazing.

Bryan:
[9:31] It was insane but we got.

Sarah:
[9:32] Seven year olds.

Bryan:
[9:32] Yeah cuz you just sort of underestimate people in you realize it's a very very different game when you take it seriously.

Sarah:
[9:38] Look see you kind of surprised me with that answer I told Bryan before the podcast because we've been we've been.

Bryan:
[9:43] I can't imagine that's interesting.

Sarah:
[9:45] Well,
maybe not the most interesting thing you told me but I said I'm hoping he will tell me a story I've never heard before that was close to one okay so go back for a second tell us about your family your day job well you're not you're just your job what do you do for a living.

Bryan:
[9:59] For a living I'm in marketing creative execution I call it brand communication design I own a small virtual agency called 21 Republic and,
yeah we do well whatever I don't really think when you talk about 21 Republic but.

Sarah:
[10:18] It's kind of interesting what you do.

Bryan:
[10:19] Yeah it's fun I mean we have we.

Sarah:
[10:23] You're seeing it is interesting.

Bryan:
[10:24] Yeah we have clients from all all different Industries we usually our entry point is usually brand Identity Design and.

Sarah:
[10:33] Mmm so somebody listening has no idea what that means put it in.

Bryan:
[10:37] Logos yeah a lot of times it's just a company who either either they don't like their logo or they just
they just want to change their look a little bit I've used the phrase dressed for the occasion so a lot of times our ideal client has been around for a little while,
and maybe maybe has been growing on you know I'll call it borrowed Graphics you know someone that they know or you know whatever and you know either that or they're working with an agency that's just not,
you know it's just not really cutting it right and so what we do is we build visuals that align with you know,
how companies want their business to be perceived sound simple but I mean it's not that simple but it's that simple.

Sarah:
[11:27] It's just sit down and sketch a couple things and you're ready to go okay basically you have a family.

Bryan:
[11:30] Yeah your family.

Sarah:
[11:34] Do you have anybody else that you would like to talk.

Bryan:
[11:36] Now I feel like I'm with my man Wheel of Fortune I have I have a wife her name is Julie,
I have two girls one is from a previous her name is Alexa she's 25 he didn't ask me about their ages.

Sarah:
[11:54] It's alright you can say you can share.

Bryan:
[11:55] Telling you and and then Julie and I have a baby girl she's 13 her name is Stella I didn't say that yeah Stella.

Sarah:
[12:04] Is one of my favorites.

Bryan:
[12:05] They're all amazing I am surrounded by ladies at the house except for Winchester who's my little shih tzu.

Sarah:
[12:14] Yeah you can't leave out Winchester he's a big part of the family he might be.

Bryan:
[12:17] Yeah and he's the only dude in the house so,
and he really doesn't care about me and he takes all of the attention that I used to get from my wife so but in all fairness he's way cuter so I.

Sarah:
[12:31] Got on another I can comment on that.

Bryan:
[12:33] That's probably not entirely accurate it's pretty close.

Sarah:
[12:35] Do you want to tell people how we know each other how do you know the good family.

Bryan:
[12:40] I can't remember where we met but I am not thing,
I think it was at 2Rivers yeah so we go to church together yeah of course no I was kidding yeah so we both attend 2Rivers well you don't really attend 2Rivers you do wait a second I don't really attend 2Rivers.

Sarah:
[12:57] 10 there you don't attend you come sporadically.

Bryan:
[13:01] Sporadically yeah certainly this last year has been sporadic but I'm always there in spirit and we watch we watch online a lot and then of course I'm I'm there were there any time we can be and then I'm on the platform.

Sarah:
[13:16] You are yeah.

Bryan:
[13:17] Every once in awhile.

Sarah:
[13:18] That's really how we.

Bryan:
[13:19] I think I'm the I'm the person who you waited longest to tell that they that they made.

Sarah:
[13:25] Completely.

Bryan:
[13:26] Made the worship team.

Sarah:
[13:27] You're also the person that made me wait the longest when I texted them and asked them to audition and then totally ghosted me.

Bryan:
[13:33] No I just freaked out I didn't I didn't.

Sarah:
[13:36] We're not going to tell that story.

Bryan:
[13:38] Kind of ghost you yeah.

Sarah:
[13:38] You did Ghost me,
it was you are the person I think that didn't want to join the team but wanted to join the team all in one time it's very confusing Bryan came on the part of the 2Rivers for those who do tours people listening when I was the worship leader now I have a different job.

Bryan:
[13:55] Yeah it's true God.

Sarah:
[13:56] Yeah different era and you ignored me basically I tracked him down he walked by my right walked right by me in the lobby basically there's a bunch of other people that are always like.

Bryan:
[14:05] Is your intimidating and unapproachable.

Sarah:
[14:07] I think there was a chance you're going to make it through this podcast episode without you saying that at some point I know is coming at some people.

Bryan:
[14:10] You knew I was going to say that what people need to know people need what people need their own feelings validated right there walking through there thinking I don't know who that lady is that runs this place but she's.

Sarah:
[14:22] She's so intimidating.

Bryan:
[14:23] Until someone actually validates their feelings right there just they feel alone in a dark closet,
with their fears.

Sarah:
[14:35] Well thank you for making them feel seen and heard appreciate that.

Bryan:
[14:39] So yeah you're not the whoever you are you're not the only one I felt it too.

Sarah:
[14:45] What you need to know about bridegroom.

Bryan:
[14:47] Oh my gosh that's.

Sarah:
[14:49] He's actually kind of scary for me to bring on this podcast because I don't really know how to explain the relationship that you and I have it's really I've basically adopted you as the older brother that,
but you pick because you do pick on me quite frequently.

Bryan:
[15:02] Fair enough.

Sarah:
[15:04] And I'm kind of like the annoying Kid Sister who you know tags long you start stuff and now you're stuck with me I think is pretty much what I told you.

Bryan:
[15:11] Yeah yeah that's that's pretty accurate.

Sarah:
[15:12] With me forever yeah we let week it goes good.

Bryan:
[15:15] I think I think we'll,
for those who don't know your husband and Julie my wife have agreed that that we that we chat a lot because our significant others are tired of listening to you.

Sarah:
[15:33] It's pretty much true they did say that.

Bryan:
[15:34] I think there's some truth to that maybe.

Sarah:
[15:36] Bryan and Sarah just talk to each other because they're tired of they can't listen to us anymore hey you know what we got great thanks to say Bryan not our fault they can't keep up.

Bryan:
[15:43] Yeah fair enough yeah truth.

Sarah:
[15:46] Anyway okay so I need to talk about something going way back like whip I don't know this because I was not firsthand we've only been friends for a few couple years.

Bryan:
[15:56] True yes.

Sarah:
[15:57] So this is going back to your I think high school day I don't know how far we're going back.

Bryan:
[16:01] High School Days.

Sarah:
[16:02] Yeah you need to talk about your theater experience.

Bryan:
[16:04] Mmm what that's awesome I love that you're bringing that up.

Sarah:
[16:09] Well because I'm going to go somewhere with him and if you think hard enough you know where I'm gonna go I'm gonna take a pull in a minute.

Bryan:
[16:15] Okay.

Sarah:
[16:16] You were in theater okay so back up so at the end of the day you're you are very creative your whole world has been around this we're going to talk about this very musically,
creative Innovative all the things so where did the music where did the music stuff come from.

Bryan:
[16:31] We think it's my grandfather argh
father so I have two brothers were all musical my younger brother was on cash I think was murdered records he was he was a professional music he still is he still a professional musician
but he had a he had a record deal put out a couple of amazing records in the worship world and and then my older brother who I would say is
arguably the most skilled musician of the three of us I think Mark would probably agree I don't know that I don't know that Jay Michael would but whose,
our older brother but he's just crazy good he's crazy good so we're all three musical I would say that I was the Late Bloomer especially on the
instrument side my brother was playing guitar my older brother has played guitar and piano since I can remember,
Mark started playing guitar and writing songs,
in high school and he was writing like good stuff stuff I could still sing to you he would probably not appreciate,
yeah maybe that's true but there's at least some of it but.

Sarah:
[17:47] You want to call and ask him.

Bryan:
[17:49] Yeah but yeah and I think so I've never had any lessons and I can't I don't,
actually don't think they have either other than you know like school right.

Sarah:
[18:01] Just kind of picked it up.

Bryan:
[18:02] Yeah they just kind of picked it up and so really they were my teachers so like if I wanted to learn how to play something on the piano,
I would just ask them to show me how to play and that's how I kind of cut my teeth if you will.

Sarah:
[18:15] So when did you start picking up an instrument and what was was it piano or.

Bryan:
[18:18] Bought a guitar in college.

Sarah:
[18:21] That was the first instrument you.

Bryan:
[18:23] Yes and I didn't really know how to play it I just remember I took it to school with me and and I just remember trying to figure out,
you know well first of all trying to fret it enough that
my fingers didn't hurt and then and then I think the big thing for any new guitar player is is bar Chords it's getting through Barre chords but I never really wanted I never really cared about getting good at guitar,
I just wanted to be able to accompany myself as a,
yeah as a singer and and maybe you know and like start writing songs and stuff like that although I think and start writing until at least a year or two after college.

Sarah:
[19:05] Because you all did your brother please your brothers play sports to do y'all play.

Bryan:
[19:09] Yeah so we all grew up playing hockey my dad sat us down when I was four maybe five,
I remember this distinctly he sat us down at our round kitchen table in Creve Coeur and he asked all three of us what do you guys think about playing hockey and we were all like yep and so my mark must have been,
I mean he must have been three,
yeah maybe he was pushing for and I was and I was pushing six we're basically all two years apart but yeah so they were and Jay Michael,
what so he played,
I think he played defense when he was kid so we all played about about four or five years and then we stopped playing when my,
parents were divorced when I was in fourth grade so I think I was like around 10 something like that we moved way there was a whole bunch of.

Sarah:
[20:08] Longer than that I've no idea okay.

Bryan:
[20:10] Well and then I went back to it,
but when I was a kid you couldn't like hockey wasn't everywhere like it is now the school's didn't have teams so you know we moved away we came back by the time I went I started going to high school,
we were out here in Wentzville I think the Francis Howell District had a team but no one else out here did now it now everyone does.

Sarah:
[20:33] Where did you go to high school we've already joked that's what it was called back then.

Bryan:
[20:37] It was yeah it was called it well it was it was still it was called emo Lee Holt but nobody called it that because it was the only it was just once for high school whs is what it was called because it was the only one,
none of Wentzville was there when I was I it's it's been a really long time it's crazy.

Sarah:
[20:55] That's that's crazy okay so somewhere in there though you picked up doing did you do theater musical what was you act too or is it just all the singing musicals.

Bryan:
[21:04] You acting yeah I I did acting in college,
so my first experience like in a play is that it was a fair to start with that okay my first experience to play was in sixth grade
I did I was in choir I had a defining moment and sixth-grade choir
because I got in trouble and Denise Risner bless her heart who I actually think tan my first record
because I don't think I would have done any of this without her encouragement but I got in trouble in choir you're going to I can't leave until the story but.

Sarah:
[21:45] This is a story I ever heard I'm excited go.

Bryan:
[21:47] I got in trouble,
fair fair I got in trouble so after choir class she was like I need to talk to you and so I walked up she usually sat at the piano and she taught class and so I walked up
to the piano and I you know it was an upright so I'm standing on the,
I'm standing on the back side of the piano and she sitting at the piano and she's basically scolding me for you know whatever and hmm.

Sarah:
[22:15] What were you doing.

Bryan:
[22:16] Oh I think I was talking or you know I mean like I was a little bit of a Class Clown shocker anyway I really had to go to the bathroom and that's exactly what I did,
I swear I peed my pants right there,
right there getting yelled at and she could so she's yelling at me I'm telling you this is the truth so she's not yelling at me but she sitting here scolding me and then she just looks at me and she's like
what is wrong and I'm like yeah I peed my pants I don't I think that's exactly how I said it because I didn't know how to eyeballs to say it I'm probably getting ready cuz it's a little silly.

Sarah:
[22:50] Sixth grade I'm gonna need a sixth grade picture Bryan because I'm going to need to get the full picture of my head how old are you insist grade like 11.

Bryan:
[22:56] Yes,
11 11 12 that was the first year that I was that I was told that was the year Footloose came out so that was the first year that I started being told that I look like Evan bacon even even.

Sarah:
[23:07] I'm going to come back to them so glad that you.

Bryan:
[23:10] Anyway so that story was unrelated to the musical of course hmm.

Sarah:
[23:15] Do you wait wait hold up a second in 6th grade they told you you look like Kevin Bacon,
so you need to know we're going to post a picture of Bryan how many times in your like how often so it started in sixth grade you get asked often,
how do they ask you how do people say they say you look like Kevin Bacon one of they say I'm have been around sometimes when people say it to you but.

Bryan:
[23:35] Yeah it's usually just has anyone ever told you in the night I tend to just finish their sentence it all depends on you know what kind of mood I'm in how they approach me sometimes I can actually tell from across the room the way someone's looking at me that,
that I know what they're going to say when they when they approached me and when he is the more,
like the more popular whatever his current project is the more I get it when I'm out in public,
like I remember I think he's off the radar for quite a while and that show The Following came out and I didn't even I didn't watch it I've never seen it and I really the the way I realized that it was out,
was all of a sudden people were saying that to me on a daily basis instead of occasionally and then someone was like have you seen the following and I'm like no I haven't.

Sarah:
[24:24] He's look in that movie could be the in that TV show is probably the closest I would say if I would ever say you look similar would be I could see why people would say that when that came out because he had a shorter hair.

Bryan:
[24:34] I mean I still have friends who will send me something on Instagram and be like dude this is you or and and sometimes I open it up my Mike looks so much like it just depends it just depends yeah.

Sarah:
[24:47] So funny so do you want to help you right now your social media profile picture what it is they can't even fight no one can even see what you really look.

Bryan:
[24:53] So it is actually Kevin Bacon yeah that's true yeah well that's a buddy of mine told me,
I don't know I think he was just giving me trouble but he's like you just need to own that and then I think I don't know maybe a couple of months later,
I think I just saw a photo and I just just occurred to me that it might be funny and it really cracked me up I just changed my profile,
pick 2 it and he texts me Touche
like and so I've gone back and forth at the craziest thing is that when I update my photo with a picture of Kevin Bacon I will still get people who know me well,
who will comment like it's me they'll say something about the photo and I'm like really man like.

Sarah:
[25:41] I'm just going to do that now 44.

Bryan:
[25:42] Like it's you know like.

Sarah:
[25:43] Like oh that's a great picture bridegroom.

Bryan:
[25:44] It's not it's not that close like I get I get the association but it's you know we don't look that.

Sarah:
[25:50] We'll let the now that something good audience be the judge I want to put do a side-by-side and our stories will let them see Bryan actually that'd be great we can post a couple is this Bryan Kevin Bacon Bryan can bake it and they can said stick our necks together.

Bryan:
[26:03] I want everyone to figure it out.

Sarah:
[26:05] I don't know they don't know what you look like.

Bryan:
[26:07] He and his brother came into town I don't know probably four or five years back they were at Old Rock House and I was so close,
going down there and just bum rushing him and being like Braille like I've been hearing this my whole life.

Sarah:
[26:23] Since sixth grade that is literally ridiculous that for that amount of time people would think you look like him.

Bryan:
[26:30] Yeah.

Sarah:
[26:31] Are similar enough like that's real people change a lot like especially guys I feel like it's like when you went to cot like usually when from going from,
adolescents to an adult like.

Bryan:
[26:43] Yeah cuz it's that's a long time.

Sarah:
[26:45] How old was he when Footloose came out maybe he was younger then what a Google search other we fact check that will can put in it.

Bryan:
[26:50] I don't know I think he is if he's not 60 yet he's really close.

Sarah:
[26:54] I think he's in his 60s I think we've.

Bryan:
[26:56] So he's quite a bit he's got he's quite a bit older than me but.

Sarah:
[27:02] Thing is his wife has blond hair like Julie there was a picture we were out somewhere and someone showed a picture and I was like she almost I mean like if you just did.

Bryan:
[27:11] Yeah.

Sarah:
[27:12] She's got she had short blond hair like she has right now it looked kind of blondish brownish whatever.

Bryan:
[27:18] Maybe.

Sarah:
[27:19] Okay anyway so sixth grade Bryan.

Bryan:
[27:22] It's just you literally asked me about.

Sarah:
[27:23] Did you use that Kevin Bacon hey we you know we were going back there.

Bryan:
[27:28] So yeah so so so so back to Denise Risner she we had a musical that year was called teen
or it was Teen to I can't remember which one I think it was the first one but she actually approached me after auditions and asked me,
why didn't you audition for the musical and I don't remember my answer but she encouraged me to sing,
to to do like a like a post auditions audition in choir and she just get she gave me a solo and that in our next choir class and then cast me as the understudy to the lead,
so I don't know they were maybe three performances and and I guess the way that it worked was I instead of just being the understudy I actually did,
played the part one time and then the guy who had the lead played at all the other times so that was that was my first taste of it and I thought it was awesome and I had tons of fun and and I am pretty sure that the following year,
I was I auditioned and was in it it's kind of funny that I can't remember if that's true.

Sarah:
[28:42] I mean that was like a really long time ago.

Bryan:
[28:44] It was unfortunately it was a really long time ago.

Sarah:
[28:47] Don't remember anything from sixth grade.

Bryan:
[28:49] But yeah so for sure theater like theater theater my my favorite thing my favorite,
performance style ever is choir I think probably,
always will be I just have I had an amazing choir director in well obviously Denise and then Jan null at Wentzville who I think is retired,
also just an unbelievable influence in my life but just that experience that for years it was something that I looked I looked forward to and I just I loved you know we toured it we in college,
we did a choir tour in Europe so I mean I've sang in.

Sarah:
[29:32] I think I realized you were in choir that much.

Bryan:
[29:34] Yeah I sang an just just unbelievable Cathedrals I've just I've sung it's just a really cool experience because it's just it's just nothing but voice,
and you learn how to blend you learn how to listen you know you learn how to you know just,
to serve a bigger thing and you know I don't know there's just something really really cool about it.

Sarah:
[29:56] No I agree we went.

Bryan:
[29:58] But then theater was definitely my my second love.

Sarah:
[30:01] Did they make you sight-read did you ever do any of the competitions like where you go and you sing all together and then part of it is.

Bryan:
[30:07] Into our choirs went to state every year and we got good scores I don't really know I mean honestly I have no idea like where we were on the grand scheme of things but but,
but it was a good it was a good choir I think credit to Jan null I think he just he was the type of person that people gravitated toward so anyone who could sing kind of wanted to be a part of it,
choirs on always a cool thing to do,
in when when I was in high school like there was a first of all the choirs big and there were you know popular people athletes,
goofballs like me everybody was ever like there were a lot of people in choir and it was it was good,
that's where we sing I think my junior or senior year we did Handel's Messiah with with a Community Choir - unbelievable unbelievable.

Sarah:
[31:01] Okay well at the Swap choir story sometime not on the podcast we won't totally nerd out on that to make everybody else who has no idea what we're talking about but the sight reading part that was always the my favorite was when they made you do it as a whole choir and there'd always be some baffoon that couldn't do it and like literally.

Bryan:
[31:15] Oh yeah I forgot about.

Sarah:
[31:16] How hard is this like far.

Bryan:
[31:17] Yeah at competition they would just give you a random piece of music and use everyone just.

Sarah:
[31:22] It also simultaneously that thing everytime made me so nervous I know how to do it I could.

Bryan:
[31:26] Yeah I totally forgot about that yeah those were all I don't and I don't think we were ever any like that good The College Choir would have been better at it.

Sarah:
[31:32] So if you don't know what sight reading it is basically reading music cult like they would give you a piece of music and you had to sing it without you never seen it never heard it and you had to follow along to it and so I mean yeah that's it.

Bryan:
[31:44] You get a pitch you get a general pitch that everyone works off of and then you just one two three go.

Sarah:
[31:49] It's a little terrifying I was to do it as choir but then that was always part of our finals would go up all by yourself from a real since I read not my favorite thing I can do it.

Bryan:
[31:54] Yeah but in but in college I mean you've got you know you've got a group of people that can basically just just do that let me it's crazy like that.

Sarah:
[32:03] If you can't cite rebut time you've made it to college and especially if you're a music Major you're you're probably not gonna last.

Bryan:
[32:09] Or you're at a small school.

Sarah:
[32:11] Yeah and they're desperate and you at least have some other talent to back up on okay so we gotta this is my pole time I need well actually.

Bryan:
[32:18] Pole time.

Sarah:
[32:19] Pull time I need well back up were you a lead in a musical are.

Bryan:
[32:24] I thank you for asking that I have only ever been.

Sarah:
[32:26] You're welcome I think.

Bryan:
[32:28] Lead.

Sarah:
[32:31] I just inadvertently.

Bryan:
[32:32] That sounds so ridiculous.

Sarah:
[32:34] For asking so I can humbly tell you,
been the lead what was your favorite lead role Bryan in your small High School in Wentzville that you are.

Bryan:
[32:42] Well I first of all I haven't been well first of all that includes College thank you very much.

Sarah:
[32:46] Where did you go to college.

Bryan:
[32:48] Culver City I went to Culver Stockton for two years and then.

Sarah:
[32:53] Then what were you going to major in.

Bryan:
[32:54] For half a semester or for a half a year one semester.

Sarah:
[32:57] Did you go to do theater or music what did you go.

Bryan:
[32:59] I was music and theater I was a double major at Culver and then.

Sarah:
[33:04] I know we've talked about I don't remember.

Bryan:
[33:06] And then I think I think I think I switched to maybe just actually I think I dropped the music Major shortly after I realized I didn't want to learn theory.

Sarah:
[33:16] Yeah you and I that's we've been.

Bryan:
[33:16] Yeah and so I was just a theater major and by the time I got to K-State,
I realized that a theater degree was going to be basically worthless for for anything that I really wanted to do so I just I just dropped out of college.

Sarah:
[33:35] That's the really unfortunate things about any of the majors in the Arts is that unless you,
really are like I want to be a teacher but you still need an education degree or whatever we're going to be on Broadway or you're going to really be an actor or whatever or you're going to make and have a music deal which you did but like.

Bryan:
[33:52] Yeah.

Sarah:
[33:53] What are you going to do with it it's sad because.

Bryan:
[33:54] I think the Arts in general right it's like it's like going to film school and thinking that you're going to you know make movies for a living it's like that's unfortunately in in all of those worlds you gotta,
you gotta grind it out,
in marketing is even similar right let you can't just go to you can't just go to college and leave with a design degree and expect that you know if you don't have,
I mean I think it's a little bit different but yeah you still kind of got to get in it and grind it out and to be quite honest with you if you've got talent,
you don't you also don't need the degree you just you just you just get in there and get after it and.

Sarah:
[34:35] Yeah fair enough okay so what's your favorite musical.

Bryan:
[34:38] Les Mis probably I mean probably,
I was.

Sarah:
[34:49] Not to second-guess the answer that's why that's it that's it.

Bryan:
[34:52] Yeah I think it is.

Sarah:
[34:53] Is no right or wrong musical answer I feel like unless you would have been like cats sorry if that's your favorite musical listening I would have been.

Bryan:
[34:59] Pensive.

Sarah:
[35:00] I mean like or like some random.

Bryan:
[35:04] I would say I probably know like 75 to 80% of the libretto of blame is like I could start singing it for you probably right now.

Sarah:
[35:16] Right now we want to hear now okay tried people.

Bryan:
[35:18] Look down look down those are the first two words actually it's more like I think that's the first two words.

Sarah:
[35:27] So the it you're right the the second any of that stuff starts I instantly cry I cannot I like I know what's going to happen that it like in the music really is very high it gets I can't even.

Bryan:
[35:40] Yeah I was obsessed.

Sarah:
[35:41] First part of the musical.

Bryan:
[35:43] I was obsessed with the music in high school I listened to so have you heard the complete symphonic recording I'm sure you have,
yeah so I had that on CD and that actually came with the book that came with that had the complete libretto written out so the lyrics from,
from word 12 to the end where were there and I just used to I used to sit well I got grounded a lot in high school too so that has a lot to do that I would just sit in my room and listen to songs and sing along.

Sarah:
[36:17] Do we want to know what you did to get grounded in high school okay we don't have enough time.

Bryan:
[36:19] You know what let's not even go there because it none of it none of it was actually it was never actually that big of a deal we just kind of had a let's just call it a strict household.

Sarah:
[36:29] I understand that I've taught that I tell you well I'm not going to tell you my story I'll tell you that story in there.

Bryan:
[36:34] Okay yeah.

Sarah:
[36:35] I understand strict okay well you got a lot of musical time because you were in your room.

Bryan:
[36:40] Yeah yeah so I listen to that I listen to that and I think I just you know I just fell in love with it and it was a dude that played the Marius part who I thought had the coolest voice
on the planet and but I didn't I never I never really cried listening because I was just obsessed with the music,
The Melodies and all that stuff I never really I don't think I ever really absorbed the story until I saw the movie that they made with Hugh Jackman and,
and I.

Sarah:
[37:12] Anne Hathaway yeah no I.

Bryan:
[37:16] Bald I was a mess and we went back maybe three or four days later and I we went with someone else and I bawled I think worse and I was like this is the worst story that I've ever like you're just it's just so
it's so big yeah there's just something that's a little bit more the the the reality of the story is so much more accessible in the movie than it is you know that,
in the theater it's just it's theatrics,
it's really about singing you know like if you if you listen to the movie soundtrack in your car you're like this is this is a way to ruin my day it's miserable right,
you know rightfully so but it is it's really not as much about singing well as it is about storytelling.

Sarah:
[38:00] Yeah yeah.

Bryan:
[38:01] And I think that's why it hits so much harder I don't know but.

Sarah:
[38:04] I mean when you can tell a good story right that's the best piece you want to a little-known Sarah fact if so.

Bryan:
[38:07] Yeah I do is this going to be something I don't know.

Sarah:
[38:13] No but you could probably guess it's not that profound I felt like it just built it up to be this bigger thing and I going to be let down when I tell you so we have a joke I talk about I'm not a big crier I cry it really good things but not,
I'm not just super overly emotional really good music anytime I can't like I cannot get we were watching a movie last night that's a musical I'm not going to say which one it is right now but watching it,
I couldn't even get it's so good that literally it's not the greatest showman although that does that listen to that music it does something into any like,
how are you moat idzik Mexico every time listen to the greatest show man that is.

Bryan:
[38:50] I'm a bit of a sap Julie and I tease each other about how sappy we are I mean we like,
I would like random I remember this is before we moved out here but I remember I was randomly at like I was I swear I was like vacuuming,
I'm not even kidding I was like vacuuming and I don't think my wife was around but the TV was on and Dirty Dancing was on,
and I'm like I'm like literally just like cleaning the condo or something and the scene with the dance where they do the lift,
standing there getting teared up watching the live thinking man I have got to get I got to get it together.

Sarah:
[39:25] This is why we will never watch a musical we won't be to watch musicals together I totally we were watching White Christmas we got to watch White.

Bryan:
[39:31] If a story gets me I'm a wreck yeah I don't cry at White Christmas you told me that that first.

Sarah:
[39:36] Every time in the Army and Bing Crosby I cannot get through the whole thing and then there's a little ballerina kids and the coming out.

Bryan:
[39:45] Yeah we definitely watch that movie several times every Christmas season but it doesn't make me cry.

Sarah:
[39:51] So all of you listening I'm going to need you to write in and tell us one if you like musical you might we might have just lost half of you I'm sorry if we did but like musicals fun nothing wrong with that.

Bryan:
[40:00] It's pretty nerdy.

Sarah:
[40:01] It's okay we can live with it tell us what your favorite musical is but Bryan I have a little debate going well he was I really.

Bryan:
[40:05] Oh I love it bring it on.

Sarah:
[40:08] So he has not watched Hamilton which were the last I don't know how long he's been out 15 years ten ten years easily.

Bryan:
[40:18] And it's only been two or.

Sarah:
[40:19] Been one of the most critical two or three years that's been the pandemic it's been longer than that,
it's been longer than that you haven't even listened to you won't even one know.

Bryan:
[40:30] First of all in my defense.

Sarah:
[40:31] Try to have a defense for this.

Bryan:
[40:33] I did I did start it.

Sarah:
[40:35] Yeah you were like I fell asleep or I didn't like it or something.

Bryan:
[40:38] Well Stella wasn't interested so we started as a family and Stella was like and then my okay but yeah I don't know,
I get it I get people love it I think that I've heard enough of it to know that it's maybe just not up my alley.

Sarah:
[40:57] That's fair enough.

Bryan:
[40:58] I could be wrong like maybe maybe it would be worth watching but but I do think that what's his Manuel dude is extraordinary and and one-of-a-kind Talent.

Sarah:
[41:12] Do like so in your I will defend you you do like him you just don't like him in Hamilton necessarily because you're afraid one of your other favorite musicals and I say is not a good one necessarily he's in.

Bryan:
[41:26] I would not call that a favorite I just think it's really good.

Sarah:
[41:29] You told me you cry when you I think that's the one you said you crying.

Bryan:
[41:32] There's yeah well I mean there's yeah that's it.

Sarah:
[41:33] Maybe Mary Poppins returns.

Bryan:
[41:36] First of all I just admitted that on a sap and I cry all the time but yeah they're so it's the second yeah Mary Poppins returns I think he's fantastic and it but there's this scene toward the beginning where the
I guess it's the kid from the first movie but now he's the husband and he's lost his wife and he's in the air,
looking for something and he's just singing about her not being there and it's just extraordinary authentic and it just hit me the first time I heard it and I,
still love that song.

Sarah:
[42:04] I got nothing to say that's fine you can you can.

Bryan:
[42:06] There's nothing to say about that.

Sarah:
[42:07] There is nothing it's just not my personal favorite so he won't go see him Alton and I said I'm not watching Mary Poppins returns anymore.

Bryan:
[42:15] Guys crazy.

Sarah:
[42:15] It's I will watch it I actually like it's because nobody is when you call something.

Bryan:
[42:17] It's way better than Hamilton that's absurd.

Sarah:
[42:22] I'm going to the fox and made to see it you should you and Julie should come see it is going to be good it's coming actually it might all be sold out.

Bryan:
[42:29] I honestly don't I don't think that I would be interested like if I too if I hadn't gotten to see it,
if I if I had the opportunity to see it with him in it I think that's one thing but I don't know I don't to me like this is going to be,
completely this is going to be an absurd comment but to me.

Sarah:
[42:53] You call this a hot take.

Bryan:
[42:54] To me.

Sarah:
[42:56] Take on something that's not okay go ahead.

Bryan:
[42:57] Yeah it is to me going to see that play without him in it is kind of like going to see that Alanis Morissette monstrosity thing where they sing all of her songs.

Sarah:
[43:10] It's like seeing White.

Bryan:
[43:11] Which is so cringy it's so cringy I can't watch I can't watch 10 seconds of those people singing Alanis Morissette's on what's that called.

Sarah:
[43:20] I don't even know what.

Bryan:
[43:21] A pill or something like that like after her,
I'm sorry for anyone who loves the musical but I it is just the worst for me it's the worst so it's probably nowhere near as bad as seeing or seeing Hannibal without Manuel is probably nowhere near as bad as that but,
that's a strong opinion and I shouldn't say mean things like that but.

Sarah:
[43:42] It's okay you can have a strong opinion.

Bryan:
[43:43] But it's garbage.

Sarah:
[43:44] That's not something good though nice can only do good things here Bryan.

Bryan:
[43:46] I mean it's a really good man those guys are so.

Sarah:
[43:50] You know okay so we need to talk about some how you got from I'm going to say sixth grade peeing your pants tent that you should have never told.

Bryan:
[43:58] Why are you repeating that oh my God.

Sarah:
[44:00] Everything you said so far and so I guess from their theater College somewhere along the line you're like huh what did you think you were going to do well okay we get to this music career part.

Bryan:
[44:11] Yeah I had a totally unrealistic part of that so I have been in I was only in a few moves in a few musicals so in,
I'm going to tell you them because you asked I was in I was in Once Upon a mattress.

Sarah:
[44:28] Okay yes.

Bryan:
[44:28] Are you familiar with that yeah unbelievable hilarious show.

Sarah:
[44:32] As the lead.

Bryan:
[44:33] Well yes I was the minstrel so there is there it's it's kind of an ensemble cast but there is technically the lead leads,
are the princess I remember her name Winifred because it's Winifred I don't remember anybody else but technically they're the lead,
the minstrels got pretty good too because he's the basically the story that he's the narrator I think of that musical if I remember correctly and then Oklahoma,
played curly that's arguably Elite and then in college I was in Camelot,
played Lancelot arguably lead and then.

Sarah:
[45:19] Other video clips of this.

Bryan:
[45:21] And then yes.

Sarah:
[45:22] Uh oh man I'm going to need.

Bryan:
[45:24] And then another very very not well-known musical called the robber bridegroom which might have been the best experience that I've had in theater only because the cast was,
yeah the cast is awesome the story is absolutely ridiculous but the some of the music was really good yeah it was just you know anyway.

Sarah:
[45:48] Okay so in college you're doing all this.

Bryan:
[45:49] And I was in Godspell forgot about that total Ensemble there.

Sarah:
[45:53] That's one that's it.

Bryan:
[45:54] Arguably not a lead because there's really only one lead in that the Jesus the Jesus yes.

Sarah:
[45:57] So you really weren't it's Jesus Jesus is the lead story Okay so.

Bryan:
[46:02] David White.

Sarah:
[46:04] How the heck did you go from there to being signed with Columbia.

Bryan:
[46:10] That's a big jump.

Sarah:
[46:12] I know I gotta get somewhere we gotta get to this record too bright if you don't know Bryan has had a wreck even hold music career.

Bryan:
[46:17] Write a record deal.

Sarah:
[46:18] Hit record deal he which yeah I wanna talk about.

Bryan:
[46:23] All right so I got out I got out of college and I had my acoustic and I had a keyboard and I was writing some songs oh it's funny so so the maintenance person at my apartment,
after college was in a band and he was over at my apartment doing some repairs and he saw my gear just sitting out ahead just like my keyboard and I don't know what else
and so we struck up a conversation and he was like well my bands kind of looking for a lead singer they were significant I should significant here there may be 10 years older than me
but they were playing gigs around town and,
I am I think I just went out to a rehearsal and saying and that was the end of it I started I started fronting for that band they were called Naked Fish swear and.

Sarah:
[47:19] Been the most interesting.

Bryan:
[47:21] Why did name that but they're actually they're actually really good band that was the that was the first
real band that I was ever in and I played,
acoustic even though I was still not a very good acoustic guitar player or guitar player in general I played acoustic in that band for like maybe three or four songs
you know like every rose has its thorn or something like that and a couple more but yeah so we did that and then I got,
I got poached by another local cover band that was playing,
way cooler rooms rooms like Boomers on the landing and Fat Tuesday and other other places that were around way back in the day and I couldn't help it and I I left that
I left Naked Fish like literally just called and said I'm not gonna be there this weekend because I'm in a new band now which is probably not cool but I did it,
that band was called painted faces it doesn't really matter anyway still no still no a bunch of those guys from those days so but I was part of the cover band circuit for for a long time and what was funny is I,
I think I thought in my head that I was on my way to being a famous frontman right,
but I wasn't really doing anything I wasn't there was I was on no path toward that.

Sarah:
[48:44] That's what you wanted to look at that.

Bryan:
[48:45] It's what I yeah it's what I wanted to do but I just I just,
I just did I didn't realize that I what I do you know I just I was just young and I just thought like somebody's gonna walk in and be like dude that singer is awesome and let's like all of the things it's just like understanding zero of the,
about how that process actually happens right so that's what I had in my head but,
at some point I mean I don't remember what year it was but it probably would have been,
it was it was just a couple of years after I stopped doing the cover band thing but
this guy Bryan Regula I'll never forget this he Boomers changed ownership and,
there was this Lucky Strike battle of the bands that was going to happen at,
the at the club and he said hey man I think you guys are really good and you should this is the new Bryan was the new manager and he was like you guys should you guys should enter this
competition or whatever it was and I was like and I said well first of all I don't you know
music is a competition it's kind of seem strange to me but then also like this is for original bands were a cover band and he was like what's that mean it's like original bands like play their own music they write their own songs they play their own songs and he was like oh okay is do you have
any of your own songs I said no he goes well can you can you write some I swear at this is how the conversation went and I was like.

[50:13] Yeah I guess we could and so I signed our band up for this competition and we had no songs,
and so I wrote If I think I wrote five songs maybe six,
in I think we had 30 days or something like that between the time that I agreed to do the competition at talk about just giving yourself a deadline right,
so we signed up for the convent and and I was like we're going to write some songs and so we wrote five or six songs and played them at that,
competition I think we got like second place which really who cares but that's that's how I got the that's how I got the songwriting bug that's how I you know and I mean
Mark was already doing it a ton so it's not like I didn't think that I could do it but that's how I that's how I figured out that.

[51:10] That's when I learned that I that I you know that I could at least craft a tune from beginning to end,
and I think I've told you this but one of the songs that we played at that competition was called all that I wanted,
I made made our Columbia Records debut so we recorded that in Vancouver years later when,
I thought that was pretty cool because it's like you know that was probably that might have been the second or third song I ever wrote really,
and yeah there was a producer in Memphis that liked it and then it made the cut when we recorded the when we recorded the first Autovein album so that's fun.

Sarah:
[51:51] So how did you get from getting second place at this contest competition to a record deal.

Bryan:
[51:57] So that band was called fly Nova
we had some Personnel changes and some guys that just knew a lot more about what I mean I'm going to say this it's going to I don't want to discredit the people that I have always been surrounded by
really good musicians so no discredit to anyone else but fly Nova we.

[52:22] Some guys joined the band that you know had just kind of been around the block one had been
Europe and back toward with a pretty good size band and just kind of knew a little bit more about what it would take to kind of take things up to the next level
and then while we were working as a band I was doing like acoustic,
like acoustic shows in the evenings at
bars one of them which is Boomers and my friend Ryan who used to sing for a band called Greenwheel
was there we struck it up we hung out had a conversation and he said you guys should open Us open for us some time at I think they had just signed to Island records
or you know
within the last like six or eight months they're working on their first album or they were getting ready to tour I don't know but they when they played Mississippi nights they you know they would have
and when they played anywhere in St Louis they would have a good crowd and I think at that time pretty much Mississippi nights was the only place that they would play because it,
big enough so anyway so we stayed in touch and we booked a date,
in I don't remember and when we opened for them,
they're A&R guy from Island Records Was there and Greenwheel -- manager.

Sarah:
[53:51] To Urban an Argyle.

Bryan:
[53:52] Oh and A&R guy so it's I think it's artists and repertoire is what it sounds like is what it stands for basically an A&R guy goes goes works for a label goes out and looks for talent
and they're in chart there they're in charge of finding and developing Talent,
that's the simple version of it anyway so he was there Greenwheel A&R person from Island Records Was there
and I remember Greenwheel's manager walking up to me and saying after are set and saying good things are happening for your band right now and I was like okay I don't even know what that means,
and I mean I kind of knew what that meant and my guitar player at the time who was pretty Savvy in the industry because he had been in that other band
you know he did he did a little bit of the navigating which I think boded well for us and like.

[54:47] Two months later maybe a month later we were in New York showcasing for Island records and
couple of a couple of other a couple of other labels so that's kind of house that's kind of how it started I think that's when I realized that we were doing things well enough to at least get the attention,
you know of people in the industry that band we probably did,
I don't know over the course of the next year we probably did six or seven showcases for almost every label.

[55:21] Met some friends that's how we that's how that's how we picked up
our first attorney that's how I got associated with BMI which is a performance rights world who whatever anyway
but I think that's when I realized okay I if I take this seriously it might be something that I that I can do and so at that point
shortly after that I think after that what when we weren't we weren't able to get a deal and so the band basically broke up which is a pretty stressful time but I just decided like I'm not I'm not finished,
and so I started this is just not a short story but I'm trying to make it quick,
so I started I started riding on my own,
my guitar player had introduced me to Pro Tools and so I had I had a little recording set up in the basement and I would just start like typing in drums and writing songs and.

[56:25] Over the course of I think maybe the next year I put out,
an EP under a new name and
yeah got the got the attention of one of my good friends now his name is Darren Hall he used to work for I think Clear Channel now he works for Enterprise but,
he and I think he was associated with the point for a long time too and so he
he sent me he sent me an email and he was like hey give me a call and this is someone who I couldn't get to so much as sneeze at me prior to it so I called him I will never forget this phone call because you know when you're when you're working really hard to get you know when you're a musician and you're working
Pike.

[57:11] First of all we're all sort of in love with the stuff that we do like you know it's it's it's a process to get to the point where you're actually critical of what,
create and I think I was closer to that by that time but you still you still sort of know what it feels like when you're you're
you're gunning for attention you're trying to get somebody to notice what you're doing or like what you're doing or whatever and it can feel just like you know trying to run through sludge
but yeah I.

[57:49] Yeah so I got this email and he said it just said like dude call me or something.

[57:53] It was Darren Hall so I'm like I'm gonna call this guy right away so I picked up the phone and I called him and he answered the phone dude I love your new band,
that's what he said and I was like okay and he was from that point on instrumental in,
in putting You Know instrumental in our success he put ice a success but you know what I mean he put us in front of some of the biggest acts on the planet when they were coming through town,
he gave us just absolutely every opportunity he opened doors at the point introduced me to everyone over there which is an unbelievable group of people most of them are,
still there honestly but um yeah so
and somewhere at that point I picked up a manager and a new attorney and he helped me solidify the lineup of the band and start showcasing for a second go round,
and we went to Chicago and we played this we played this let's call it a festival it's called mobfest and we played at the at the Double Door in Chicago and David Andreone who is still a friend,
he was there from Columbia Records and I think I went home,
after that show there I'm skipping like thousands of details.

Sarah:
[59:22] It's hot it's a long story I mean this was over how much time,
from the time you started the band I mean how much time you're in your... you were in your 20s-30s - how old were you in those?

Bryan:
[59:32] At the time when we when we signed I was 31,
when we signed I was 31 and so and I think I quit I quit my job to write full-time I think order or like I quit my job to pursue a record deal,
um in,
oh my gosh I quit my job in in I think it was five years I think it was five years.

Sarah:
[1:00:01] Okay so this is the stuff that gets I want our people listen to hear in that moment you quit your job I mean this people don't make it in music like you if,
you have no I mean it's hard it is not an easy thing it's like you really wake up one day and you're like oh I'm going to get a record deal like it happens for very very very very
select few people in it's a hustle you said earlier like It's a Grind to get anywhere and some of the Arts industry across the board which is sad because there's a lot of really really talented people thankfully we could spend a whole podcast talking about technology and stuff and,
you've been also has made it a lot easier for people I think to get stuff out there and you.

Bryan:
[1:00:36] Yeah and it's a skin thickening experience for sure.

Sarah:
[1:00:39] Because you're going to hear no way more than you,
oh that's awesome so what was it like like what was literally going on in your brain when you're like I'm going to quit my job and I'm gonna do it I mean because that's a pretty big you have family this point you're married to Julie right,
you're married yet.

Bryan:
[1:00:56] It wasn't married got married we got married two months before we signed to Columbia actually,
we weren't married but yes we were together and yeah I mean I remember.

Sarah:
[1:01:07] Probably know it was moving in that direction right oh yeah I mean.

Bryan:
[1:01:09] Oh yeah yeah I mean I think we knew yeah when I was in Nashville I moved to Nashville shortly after I met Julie and I was only there for a short time and when we when we agreed that I was going to,
move as I move back up to st. Louis XI had a condo and we were talking about me moving into the condo and I said under one condition I'm never moving out,
and and it still took me five more years to propose to her but we knew I mean yeah we just we just knew I mean I yeah I could literally
talk for hours about how amazing she is but so what the what we were talking about.

Sarah:
[1:01:51] So you knew all that stuff you're going to get whatever your.

Bryan:
[1:01:54] Yeah so yeah so I was working as an art director yeah.

Sarah:
[1:01:58] Just hinge on what.

Bryan:
[1:02:00] I was doing the design stuff and I was in a I was in a job that was just it was a good job but it was just you know it was just,
it was just kind of not a
not a like as far as work is concerned it was fine but it was just not a good place you know I don't want to call it toxic as much as it was just not a very well-run environment and I just wanted out and and I,
and I just I had a conversation with Julie and I was like hey I you know I think it's time that I just get out of this and start working you know I'll find
I'll find my own clients and do a little bit of and I think at the time I actually had one client that I was doing side work for and I'm like you know I'm making enough money doing a little bit of this side work that I just I think I would I want to.

[1:02:46] Quit this full-time thing and she was a thousand percent in she was just like you need to do it you need to do it and so I like I think I started waiting tables,
to supplement what I was doing you know so I was doing graphic design waiting tables and writing songs
and that was it and I did that I think for the better part of five years but I mean
you know that's writing songs that's recording I met amazing musicians one of my one of my old friends his name's David Beeman he owns a studio here in town called native sound unbelievable
Uhn probably one of the most extraordinary artist I've ever personally known just because he can play and do anything
and he's a writer and he finishes one good idea and he just moves on to the next it's just absolutely just absolutely insane and he had like kind of the opposite I'm going to I'm tangent Inge again but.

[1:03:45] Anyway so he kind of helped me on the drum side but even on the writing side because he just he was just such a different,
Spirit to be around everything was positive everything was encouraging everything was like he just,
he had a habit of just like,
trying to figure out what he loved about something then trying to figure out what he could find critical about it right and it just ended just rubbed off on me in a great way and you know me well enough to know that like I'm a bit of a Critic,
be so to be around someone who's you know and just as bad on myself as I am on everybody else so to have that energy I think was really helpful,
but.

Sarah:
[1:04:28] Okay so sadly I wish we could talk for two hours all about this stuff because I know there's you and I've spent three years talking about some of the stuff,
there's a lot of good stories in there give me when I asked this question tried to keep it succinct what would you say you got the record deal one of the,
highlight moments of the run after that being a recording artist touring all that stuff what would be a couple give us a couple of the top fun moments surprising moments.

Bryan:
[1:04:59] Probably one of the coolest moments would would be watching watching the string section when we were recording the first,
album there were two songs on the album that had strings and
this gosh I wish I could remember his name I just actually just found the handwritten stuff a couple of months ago but so I worked with we were in Vancouver
and I worked with this gentleman gosh I wish I could remember the name who basically helped
arrange the string parts and then about halfway through the recording process we went back to Armoury studios in Vancouver and recorded,
just you know professional,
and it was just I was so excited it was it was absolutely incredible to watch because the you know here are these,
hear your songs and your you know they're they're sitting out there just play like they're Pros they just walk in you put music in front of and they just start playing they've never heard it and really.

Sarah:
[1:06:07] Sight reading.

Bryan:
[1:06:09] Well done and and you know he's kind of responsible for you know getting them to do what we're collectively thinking.

Sarah:
[1:06:17] Yeah yeah.

Bryan:
[1:06:19] And that was like that there's video of it just me standing there with my hand in front of my face just going I cannot believe what's happening right now he was just so beautiful I mean those instruments are they are just,
so pretty it's completely out of my comfort zone where I can't play anything like that,
yes I think it was a it was a four is a quartet on one song and then and then an octet on the other song and it was just there just fun they're just really I mean like that's the kind of thing that when it's happening you're like where am I right now.

Sarah:
[1:06:52] But there's something really cool about anytime you want well I can't imagine you know I'm a string fan but watching something that you had birthed the new created watching it come to life and the people do it like it really is not a body,
and I'm sure you listening it probably doesn't just be the music world I mean whatever it is you're creating something you poured your heart and soul into something and watching it actually be a tangible living breathing thing is just,
amazing.

Bryan:
[1:07:14] And they are so you know go on that Journey first of all it happens so,
it happened so fast like once people are sort of interested things just kind of start happening and you're just what I used to call I'm just hanging on for dear life like you go from feeling like you're trudging through mud,
feeling like you're hanging on for dear life trying to make,
a good decision with each opportunity that comes up but every little thing like I mean I remember when we went and bought the van and I wrote a check for it because we were,
given money to get you know to get a touring vehicle and I'm sitting in this van I had just bought it and it's I had never experienced buying a vehicle like that,
you know was title all of its like it's literally it was like buying a
Pop Tart it was just like here this is all yours now and so I just left and I had to get gas and I'm sitting there at the gas station filling up filling up this van with gas and I'm like what
is this and I'm like so I sat in my basement wrote songs for 45 years and now I'm now I'm in a van,
it's all of it was really really surreal like that.

Sarah:
[1:08:20] What there's people out here listening that are hustling after something what incorrect I mean like what would you tell somebody who's like.

Bryan:
[1:08:28] Who is like.

Sarah:
[1:08:30] Brighten the book baking 1000 cookies,
play it right in 50 songs the think they're all horrible you know whatever whatever their thing is like we have a big thing on podcast about like do something like God's put a gift and talent every single person we deeply believe that it's our,
job and calling in opportunity and privilege to try to shine out whatever that thing is and everybody's thing looks different it can
different through of course your life but for somebody who's like oh my gosh like this is never I'm never going to get to do this thing like I'm never going to get through this what encouragement would you give them to keep going.

Bryan:
[1:09:02] I would say I would say I think if you if you,
if you know in your heart that that what you're doing is what you want to do and your and your 100% authentic about it just keep doing it,
just keep doing I mean I like it sounds trite and it's certainly not the first person said but I think those qualifiers are pretty important I think authenticity is important that was something that I kind of didn't have first go round because I was older I kind of had to,
you know I kind of had to mask,
my my reality because you know the label finding out that I was 31 was like a bad thing so you know I didn't I didn't feel like I could just,
freely and openly talk about being married talk about the fact that I had a kid oh and I mean I just I just kept all of that,
private because you know we were concerned at some point someone would be like wait 31 do the math we're not interested right,
and so that I think that took a component of authenticity out of it and I think that's I think that's pretty important I think you have to be,
you got to be hear me loving what you're doing and you got to be you got to be in a point where you can just be authentic about it I don't know I don't know if that's good advice I hope it is.

Sarah:
[1:10:26] Is good advice what kept you going when everybody kept telling you know I mean you like you said you got a lot of NOS before there was a guest like why what five years is I mean honestly a pretty long time to be writing songs in your basement without.

Bryan:
[1:10:37] Not and.

Sarah:
[1:10:38] Record I mean.

Bryan:
[1:10:40] And then after it right.

Sarah:
[1:10:41] Yeah.

Bryan:
[1:10:43] You know that that deal didn't go the way that we wanted it to so I think just,
just belief I mean for for a very long time I'd say to this day I still feel like I was put on this planet to make music,
and I think that was the hardest thing about shutting it down when it was finally just too much work for not enough reward was feeling like you were stepping away from the thing that,
you know that that you were put on the planet to do it so for me I kind of gave myself no other option so for a very long time,
that was it there was no plan B it was just this is what we're going to do and it wasn't until it started to take a toll on my wife and we were talking about,
actually we already had Stella so it was just it was just too much it just got to a point where it's too much and and,
and I think I was also just burnt out enough because you know that's a lot it's a lot so,
yeah I don't know if I I turned on I'm it I kind of turned on your question but yeah I just I've always known.

[1:11:56] I've always felt I should say that that this is that this is what God wanted me to do,
is what this is what I was put on the planet to do and even when I even when I shut the band down I called it a Hiatus you know this,
and I just said you know I'm going to take a break and I'll get back to it when I can't help myself.

Sarah:
[1:12:19] Or not come back to that in a second but I want to stop and I want to talk for a second about where your faith Journey kind of intersects with all of this and you don't have to like you can share as much little as you want,
honestly the time on these podcast go way faster than we think when you're listening to this everybody you'll know if this was a one part or a two part as far as this even first part we have even gotten to the other hole we had a whole nother conversation to have in a minute.

Bryan:
[1:12:42] Wow.

Sarah:
[1:12:43] This is why ya anyway okay so faith.

Bryan:
[1:12:46] Yep.

Sarah:
[1:12:48] Tell us a little bit about just that how did you get to a place where you're walking with the Lord in the relationship you got right now how'd you get there.

Bryan:
[1:12:55] Yeah I mean so I grew up Catholic so I always had faith has always been something it's been part of my life but I didn't you know,
so I would say when I left the Catholic Church as a young adult but I didn't leave you know I probably left as an agnostic,
so I always had a component of faith and I remember I was talking earlier about when the band when that first band broke up as a really stressful time and I mean I was
I was coming apart and Julie was like
dude you're stressed and I remember very very specific moment where I just said you know what this is out of my hands and I have to release control,
and that was really a practical move at the time because I was just so stressed and I was so I mean,
I don't I know I wasn't necessarily trying to control everything but I was just hyper fixating on making the right decisions and things being and you know whatever and I just you know and when,
when band members started started going away it just.

[1:14:01] It got to a point where I'm like I you know you're realizing that you you can't be in a band by yourself first of all right so,
I just yeah I just I remember consciously telling myself you gotta let go you gotta give this to God and I don't know I don't even really know
if I said you know I definitely had no relationship with Jesus if you will relationship with God if you will
at the time but I but I knew I still had a sense that he was in control,
and that if I was going to if I was going to be able to survive any of it,
I needed to I needed to release that to him and and without a doubt without a doubt it was moments after I did that that,
that the band started running away from me I liked it it was crazy I mean I those those were very distinctively,
two things that happened back-to-back I released control and and everything started moving in the right direction and I attributed it to it,
and so.

Sarah:
[1:15:14] Somebody needs to hear that because that's a all of us whether we're control freaks or not.

Bryan:
[1:15:18] Yeah I was going to thread that in earlier and then I was like I've been yapping for so long,
I tried if I try to go back to tell that story so I'm glad that you asked that because it's it was I mean,
you know it's not a I'm not making that up right like it was it was a noticeable turn of events I said,
let go of this and just do you know take take responsibility for the,
part that you can handle give the rest to God and let's get after it and that's when things started getting carried away quick which you know and so that you know I never lost sight of that I don't think.

[1:15:59] And then and then some friends that I'm it particularly my friend Brad that I met along the way he was actually he worked with that company,
debt that bought Boomers at the time that's how I met him but I remember I remember sitting at a Buffalo Wild Wings and he was just telling me,
just how settled his,
heart was because he had a relationship with Christ he believed you know he he's actually very well-read with regards to the Bible and so you know he just sort of like led me along that,
path kind of encouraged me to I'm he is for sure what I mean there's always Mark right so I've always had that influence and after we got off the road with well whatever again.

[1:16:51] Any details yes my brother my brother my,
again worship worship guy musician leader worship leader so so there was that too but so you know there was a time where that kind of those paths all sort of crossed and I would say that's when
you know that's when I experienced you know the softening of the heart kind of stuff and I was just like oh man like this is you know,
this is where I need to be
and yeah that's I started I started volunteering for the for the praise team at Mark's church and then obviously got out of that for a little while
um and I yeah we just say that's is that how it started is that a good enough like that's,
is it short enough is it good enough yeah.

Sarah:
[1:17:41] If you it's perfect Bryan positive feedback only for you is perfect so real quick okay so.

Bryan:
[1:17:44] Wow so real quick okay so.

Sarah:
[1:17:51] Eventually the band ends that is a story for another day but but we yeah but the time on that closed that was how many years ago.

Bryan:
[1:18:02] 10:00.

Sarah:
[1:18:03] And you just said.

Bryan:
[1:18:04] Almost to the almost very close to 10 it's just over 10 at this point was 10 in November of last year yeah.

Sarah:
[1:18:12] Something cool happens last November when we get to that second okay so.

Bryan:
[1:18:14] That's right.

Sarah:
[1:18:16] You said it was a Hiatus knowing that at some point maybe you would,
pick back up songwriting music whatever I mean you know there's like you completely walked away from it you were doing stuff in there just not.

Bryan:
[1:18:28] Yeah I mean I was we were I had some friends we were playing we're playing shows every once in a while just to stick cover stuff and like I said I you know for for the majority of those ten years I was,
or for the first part of this ten years I was playing some of that overlaps actually I was playing drums for the most part I played drums at at Mark's Church
and that was because it was just very different from what I was doing,
with the band so it just sort of felt like didn't feel like the same thing I wasn't really interested in singing or playing guitar or anything like that,
just kind of sitting but I've always been a closet drummer so sitting back there and doing that was tons of fun but it was also very worshipful for me like I there were a lot of really defining moments for me back there too,
and I think that's you know that's also where I started to what was the question.

Sarah:
[1:19:24] What you.

Bryan:
[1:19:26] Oh my God.

Sarah:
[1:19:28] I asked you what you did for the 10-year Hiatus what I'm getting to I'm getting to the Matthew 6 Project Bryan is what I'm trying to get.

Bryan:
[1:19:36] Oh yeah well.

Sarah:
[1:19:37] So you took a break from music worship Faith growing going to church be involved praise team God's working on her heart probably lot in there,
opened up to a whole different kind of venue of music not venue vein category of music not that you had a bit.

Bryan:
[1:19:48] Yep Zane sure.

Sarah:
[1:19:52] It worship music is kind of its own kind of thing.

Bryan:
[1:19:56] And arguably keeps getting better and better.

Sarah:
[1:19:58] It does now I would agree with that.

Bryan:
[1:20:00] I mean they're there was you know all sorts of stuff that I loved back when I started playing with Mark but I mean no I mean there's some pretty good stuff but it key I feel like it keeps getting better.

Sarah:
[1:20:13] It does get better,
so what happened in the last year year and a half so I don't know how long time my friend was that you were like I'm going to kind of dive back in this music stuff little bit.

Bryan:
[1:20:29] I have no idea I know this I know the series of events I know the series of events but I wear it yeah.

Sarah:
[1:20:35] The Lord yeah meeting Sarah good that's good joining the worship team I said the Lord first I said the worship team because you told me it was a lot.

Bryan:
[1:20:40] Wow wow what was definitely that right well you know that when when you and I started talking about the worship team I was super on the fence right I mean you're kind of talking about it earlier.

Sarah:
[1:20:55] That's why I said person who like I couldn't really tell them like am I supposed to be talking you into or out of being a part of this I didn't really know her.

Bryan:
[1:21:01] And I and I told you I was like I just I had so much baggage I just it's just a lot it's just a lot and I think I think you've experienced it at this point but,
yeah I mean I you know I we when we were looking for a church,
you know music was a important component so it was kind of nice when we came into 2Rivers and we you know we were like yeah okay the bands good bands,
arguably way better now but that was an important component and then when you know when I felt like,
to me the ban was like okay I can sit here I can listen this it's worshipful I can,
you know this is a good way for me to start church and it's not a distraction like we had definitely been to other churches where I'm like this is bad enough that it's
it's just too much of a distraction and I just I can't I'm not it's not worshipful worshipful for me so that was a good start and then the band got better and
and you and I met and then of course there was Kim who was basically the catalyst for all of it.

Sarah:
[1:22:05] We have this friend who basically would tell me all the time hey my friend Bryan is really great he wants to be a part of the worship team hey,
have you heard my friend my friend Bryan and I was like Bryan needs to come talk to me I'm like I great whoever Bryan is I'm real excited about,
not going to get just guess.

Bryan:
[1:22:24] Yeah she definitely.

Sarah:
[1:22:26] She was great Isla everybody needs a Kim in their life that basically champions them and actually forces them to do stuff when.

Bryan:
[1:22:34] You're not kidding.

Sarah:
[1:22:34] They're not.

Bryan:
[1:22:36] But I mean I think I was secretly like loving the fact that she was championing me but I was also just kind of terrified because I just knew you know I knew that.

Sarah:
[1:22:45] That's why I said that's why I tracked you down in the lobby because you literally walked by and I was like she's told me like 50 times and this dude just walk by me I'm just going to have a conversation that's what kind started.

Bryan:
[1:22:54] Yeah yeah for sure so.

Sarah:
[1:22:58] That didn't start the mean you started back in music at 2Rivers you worked with a drum,
yeah we worked on something and then just we're going to do another episode we're going to talk more about Matthew 6 because there's a really big idea behind it but just give a little bit of the what happened to actually,
make you go I actually want to do a whole nother album of a totally different genre than what you had done before.

Bryan:
[1:23:25] You completely different.

Sarah:
[1:23:26] Just give a little bit of that like the high-level of like how the heck did you go from I'm not doing anything musical to I'm serving at my church I'm kind of doing this thing I'm liking it a little bit.

Bryan:
[1:23:37] You're doing a great job just keep going.

Sarah:
[1:23:38] I'm doing a level I mean I could tell the story.

Bryan:
[1:23:40] Yeah well yeah you're painfully familiar with it
yeah it started with the production stuff right we had done the Oh Holy Night Thing and we were you know hammer and my brother for Pro Tools help
because I didn't have any of that stuff updated and so you and I sort of agreed like hey let's
I'm going to update my production stuff I can help the church with you know the the bigger events and then any other stuff and so I all of a sudden I'm,
staring at Pro Tools again going man you look familiar and you know sight for sore eyes kind of thing right
and and then of course you I'm assuming that you want me to mention the fact that you sent me a text.

Sarah:
[1:24:23] I did not need any name recognition I.

Bryan:
[1:24:26] In all fairness that's where it was right like you brought up doing a recording of Raise A Hallelujah and it sort of occurred to me that like we could absolutely you know,
that happens all the time
so like why wouldn't we gives us some gives us a project gives us something to do and I love the song I like our voices on the song we've certainly been told that by enough people that it was like it just kind of felt Justified but as I said before I just,
I wanted to do something different and so I think that's that's kind of how it all that's kind of how it all started it wasn't.

Sarah:
[1:24:59] And we only can sing songs that have out Hallelujah in it that's my rule.

Bryan:
[1:25:03] That's how it started for a second.

Sarah:
[1:25:04] If it didn't have the word holiday I will not sing it with Bryan there you go so.

Bryan:
[1:25:09] So next week you're in the clear yeah.

Sarah:
[1:25:14] Okay good I can sing with you next week okay good we'll be fine we the very first song We sang was,
it's the yeah I just totally blind on the dude's name what's the cover yes of the very famous,
Hallelujah there's like an Easter version of it,
and basically somehow I'd still to this day do not know how I convinced you to sing that part of that song that song cuz this was only,
couple months into you being on the team and I had vocal nodules and hadn't even been so it was really it we were that is.

Bryan:
[1:25:49] Yeah I think that was the evident that was that was the evidence that you know that I really did want to you know either that or it's just you know it's just evidence of your persuasiveness is that what it is yeah I knew I knew.

Sarah:
[1:26:03] So when I need to be very good gift of persuasion all of it anyway okay so you we,
just release this fun project in November so basically what my tell you all of you listening is we're going to give you a little teaser for it,
now that something good is gonna put out a bonus episode where Brad and I are going to talk way more in-depth about the project heart behind it where it came from but give the just give a little bit of nobody goes and listens to that episode tell them,
what Matt what's in the couple sentences.

Bryan:
[1:26:34] If I describe it now and they're like man.

Sarah:
[1:26:36] No you're going to want to listen to this I don't I feel a little this is the part where I had something to do with it not a lot really but,
even if I had nothing to do with it this is an incredible project and I'm serious everybody needs to listen to it it's really really really good.

Bryan:
[1:26:52] Thank you for saying that but yeah and you had a lot to do with it I mean I think an important component for,
a creative person is to have you know have a peer to bounce ideas off of and that for me you know,
there's always my family right but of course they have to listen to the development so they get tired of all of it so quickly and I you know you get to the point where you're just like I'm so sorry but I just want you to hear this,
slightly like I'm cooking can you please you know it just but but also I mean you're a musician right and your creator so you know I've told you that if I
didn't have you to bounce those I'm you especially as a Creator you need a safe place to share what could be a bad idea right
and,
when you don't have that it can be a little bit of a challenge to sort of push forward and find the motivation or the encouragement or the validation all those things that you know we creatives need to basically combat our imposter syndrome,
and you worry were there for all of that so not to mention obviously you know you were,
you were you were the voice the other the other voice of Raise A Hallelujah and and the idea behind recording in the first place.

Sarah:
[1:28:08] I love it well it's a really cool project we're going to talk more about it go check it out Bryan this is what need to ask.

Bryan:
[1:28:14] Where do they go to check it out.

Sarah:
[1:28:15] They're going to welcome to ask you several things so they're going to go to your aunt tell him where do they go to find it Bryan.

Bryan:
[1:28:20] Matthew6project.com.

Sarah:
[1:28:24] Hmm got it right.

Bryan:
[1:28:26] Why is why do I have to think about that that should roll off the tongue.

Sarah:
[1:28:30] It literally those that thing it was like all I mean you spent a ton of that last leg of November it came out in November 16th,
and it was a ton of I think all of us but definitely you obviously had way more time and stuff invested but hit a wall it was just like.

Bryan:
[1:28:46] Yeah and it's I.

Sarah:
[1:28:48] I'm but.

Bryan:
[1:28:49] I joke that the project sounds like something that you know you should be able to finish in a month which arguably does but,
there's just so much more that went into it developing it and and the learning curve whatnot but yeah very proud of it and it's you know I think it's a much,
bigger thing than just this you know just the EP that's out there right now but yeah if if folks are interested in.

Sarah:
[1:29:17] So Matthew 6 project.com you can go YouTube you can find actually really cool behind-the-scenes video that you should go watch and check out follow on Instagram Facebook Matthew 6 project not hard to find you can listen to it everywhere.

Bryan:
[1:29:29] Pretty much everywhere.

Sarah:
[1:29:32] Wherever you listen to music you can find it.

Bryan:
[1:29:35] Apple music Spotify.

Sarah:
[1:29:36] Yeah go do that.

Bryan:
[1:29:38] Title.

Sarah:
[1:29:39] People want to go here Bryan roach the early years what's the name that you never said the name of the band has two different to what do they look for to go hear your band that had the record deal and all that stuff they want to go listen.

Bryan:
[1:29:53] Okay Autovein is the it well so the first record it's called bulletin bruises and I don't know what I think Pandora is the only place that you can find that but you could you might be able to find that unlike,
YouTube or something and then Autovein,
which is auto like car vein like you know blood,
that eventually became like toward the very end it became Revolution 1 and so on Apple music,
and Spotify and stuff like that I think the second half the the second record and then the third EP are under that name Revolution 1.

Sarah:
[1:30:38] Speed when go check it out.

Bryan:
[1:30:39] If you're so inclined.

Sarah:
[1:30:41] You should go be inclined to go just listen to it so you have a he's got a you just got to have something to give context for what you're talking about.

Bryan:
[1:30:47] Sure yeah no I'm proud of all that stuff so I mean by all means go listen to it.

Sarah:
[1:30:52] Thank you for sharing your story and they're all over we could talk 20 more podcast episodes about random Bryan roach life.

Bryan:
[1:30:58] We have countless cell phone hours.

Sarah:
[1:31:01] We do we do but the last question we asked everybody,
is officially part of podcast is the last thing I do is you got to tell us one more good thing something good it can be anything story product I don't care I don't I'm not going to give a quote to me qualifiers but just tell us something good.

Bryan:
[1:31:18] One more good.

Sarah:
[1:31:19] Tell us something good Bryan Roach.

Bryan:
[1:31:22] And it can't be that the blue scored twice and.

Sarah:
[1:31:24] You can say whatever you want to say if that's what you're good thing is go for it.

Bryan:
[1:31:28] I want it to be something better than that but that's sort of that's a that's an on-the-spot question I want it to be I want to be more I'm still riding that's not a good that's it.

Sarah:
[1:31:39] That is something no one.

Bryan:
[1:31:40] Is it is it is that a is that a good thing that there's more Matthew 6.

Sarah:
[1:31:44] Good things need no qualifiers they're just good and the fact that you're writing is that's a good thing you enjoy it brings you life and hopefully other people get here.

Bryan:
[1:31:54] Okay I'll say that that each week more people are listening to Matthew 6 it's still feel so selfish I wanted something better.

Sarah:
[1:32:02] It's not selfish because here's the deal with the heart of it because we didn't actually say what the heart of Matthew 6 is what's Matthew why is it called Matthew 6.

Bryan:
[1:32:09] Yeah so it comes from the verse it comes from Matthew 6 5 through 8,
basically just talks about when you when you pray,
don't do it in front of people this I'm literally going to simplify this but don't do it in front of people do it by yourself right,
God can already knows what you want go to your room close the door pray in secret God knows what you want,
and it you know basically encourages us to spend alone time rather than you know get out there and be spiritual in front of everybody so that you know everybody else can hear when so I had the idea of taking
that idea that was about prayer and applying it to worship music so it's
you know Matthew 6 the Matthew 6 project started with the idea of taking big corporate worship tunes that were kind of designed to be you know large crowd moments or,
elements and stripping them down into Super intimate personal sort of reverent pieces so that's what that is.

Sarah:
[1:33:18] They're amazing and there's five cover songs.

Bryan:
[1:33:20] That's true.

Sarah:
[1:33:21] Three brand new traditional songs.

Bryan:
[1:33:23] Also true.

Sarah:
[1:33:24] It so it's good you can go listen to it literally it will be like I said I can be biased because I'm of all but not involved I'm adjacent well not really but,
it's it's really it's really good and has been a huge personal blessing to me so Aunt will and so go listen to it.

Bryan:
[1:33:42] Yeah same and and we've already heard pretty incredible stories about about how that's how that music is impacting folks which is very very different from.

Sarah:
[1:33:53] So that's why I say that's why it's not selfish that more people are listening to it because heart is we want more people to be impacted by it's not about Bryan or.

Bryan:
[1:34:01] Yeah I think the idea of it is I think anybody can listen to the idea and listen to the execution and go I want to do that and they don't,
you know Matthew 6 project doesn't have to be music recorded or written by Bryan roach or Sarah good or it can be anybody it's an idea of saying hey take this thing and turn it into a moment that's personal to you
which I think was one of the things that was a little terrifying about cheering is it's very very it is very very personal but,
but I think that's why it's resonating with folks I've had a handful of people tell me that,
they just cried listening to and I'm like oh my goodness I'm not sure if that was the idea behind it but yeah people just it's it's definitely it's a personal thing it's a yeah.

Sarah:
[1:34:55] It's really good that's definitely something good Bryan see it worked.

Bryan:
[1:34:59] Good I'm glad.

Sarah:
[1:35:00] You sure something good okay awesome thanks for being here Bryan.

Bryan:
[1:35:03] Thank you for having me.