Biography
Brendan was interested in music at an early age and was singing songs from the radio at age two singing “Little White Cloud That Cried” by Johnny Ray (as reported by his mother).
Country music was a staple both on radio and in life as Brendan often listened live to an uncle and cousin who played such standards as “Your Cheatin’ heart” by Hank Williams and “Railroad, Steamboat River and Canal” by Jim Reeves. Johnny Cash was a hero to both his uncle and father. He fell in love with the power of the electric guitars and the lead guitar his cousin played. His first 45 record, purchased at nine years old, was Patsy Cline singing ”Walkin’ After Midnight” and he played it endlessly on the little portable record player he got for Christmas that year.
At the same time he developed a growing interest in history and the early mythologies of a number of cultures. "My dad bought Collier's Encyclopedias that had a young people's collection which contained the Epics of King Arthur, Roland and Oliver, Finn and Oisin, The Cid, and many others. They also contained the Greek, Norse, Hindu and Native American mythologies. This was heady stuff for a little kid but it stimulated my interest in these subjects and I still maintain an avid interest in them which has been incorporated into both my albums". Brendan also became an avid reader of science fiction, reading all of Arthur C. Clark's novels and short stories as well as Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury and many others.
The exploration of undiscovered frontiers parallels Brendan's life in that he was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa. This was an important stop in the Lewis and Clark expedition and was, from the 1840's on, considered to be the 'jumping off point' into unknown territory. Council Bluffs at that time was the last outpost of civilization, the gateway to the Oregon Trail.
When he was age 15, Brendan's family retraced portions of Lewis and Clark's journey, part of the old Oregon territory, in their move to Washington State. After moving to the Northwest, his interest in music developed into song writing and he became the lead singer for several teen bands. As Brendan grew older he worked with several bands and then as a single act playing cover songs but continued to write and perform songs of his own as well.
Brendan always had an interest in folk and Celtic music and for a short time played such music in coffee houses and other folk venues. In the majority of venues and clubs available to performers in the greater Seattle area in the 80's, however, the interest in the genre had declined and to continue working and make a living, a musician had to perform popular cover material.
Brendan decided in the mid 80’s to go "underground" leaving the club scene and devoting his time to writing music and submitting songs to a number of publishers. While there was a positive response and an effort to shop his songs around, publishers placed an emphasis on songwriters that attempted to write music that exactly reflected popular music being played on top forty or album rock oriented radio stations.
In the 1990's Brendan decided he was going to pursue his own musical journey to where ever it might lead him. His first album was an amalgam of Celtic, pop, rock and ambient music (In other words all over the place). It recieved some decent critical reviews but people really did not know what to do with it. Brendan says, "There are any number of songs on the album I'm proud of though I wish I had known some better engineering, but I think some sound quite good". Listen for yourself, you may find some gems that appeal to you.
At the end of the decade Brendan wanted to move back towards a more wholly American music, a mix of alt country, rock and folk that were really getting back to his musical roots. Originally titled "Myths and Legends" he finally decided on "American Mythology" which would be an effort to capture vignettes of American culture. Songs were written and rejected, songs recorded and put aside. Finally at the end of seven years Brendan believed he had the songs and the mixes that reflected what he wanted to hear and what he hoped others wanted to hear.
Every thing is a circle and coming back around and incorporating all of the musical influences of a lifetime into a new album is a humbling experience. This album was a labor of love and like love it required a lot of hard work and a lot of second guessing. Brendan would like to see people listen to it and discover something that touches their own lives.
Welcome to American Mythology.
Brendan has released his latest album “American Mythology” exclusively in a high quality digital download mp3 format available at http://www.brendanmccloud.com.
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