The Oracle

Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Matt Wignall

It's hard, but I'll admit it.

I almost left Third & Lindsley once I heard the first mumbled line from singer-songwriter, Brett Dennen.

The WRLT Acoustic Christmas opening act, Meiko, had left my heart fluttering with her crisp and whispery croon, and then a guy I thought was just doing a mic check for the next act starting playing.

I told myself I was not ending my December 16 night out with a friend listening to this guy, but after settling into my chair at the Nashville venue I found more than another "favorite artist" for my Facebook profile. I found a message of hope in a troubled time-and some fun music.

Dennen sat to the side of the stage in a small chair leaned over his guitar as if it were a gift just given to a young son. A small "hey guys" was given to the audience from under the red hair covering his face, and he started playing.

A high-registered and mumbling voice with the likes of Jason Mraz meets Tracy Chapman, Dennen was first hard to understand. But once I started digging in and listening to his lyrics and happy acoustic beat, I fell completely into his music.

Dennen's music is choc full of lyrics like Mraz and takes a humanistic look at the world. His latest album he is now on tour for is titled "Hope for the Hopeless."

I recently had a chance to hook up with Dennen by phone before his show in Austin, TX. Here's what I asked and what Brett had to say:



FLATT: How did you get started in music?

DENNEN: Well, I grew up in northern California, and I started playing in a band in college. And I got out of college and quit the band, and I started writing my own songs and recording them and playing and doing lots and lots of gigs in the northern California area. It started to grow, and I got a manager and a booking agent. And it kept growing and growing. And I kept playing further and further away and all over the place. Year after year, it was just playing and playing and playing.



FLATT: What artists do you listen to?

DENNEN: Currently-you know, I always listen to Van Morrison and Neil Young-but I got the new Bon Iver record which is really cool. And I like listening to My Morning Jacket.



FLATT: Who has been your favorite musician to tour with?

DENNEN: I had a lot of fun on the road with John Mayer. I had a lot of fun with the band called Guster, and I had a lot of fun with the John Butler Trio.

Continued...

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