Gig Soap

In this episode of the Gigso Podcast, host Chad Bourquin interviews musician Brandon Miller, who shares his journey in the music industry, including his recent travels, album success, and the importance of mentorship. Brandon discusses the impact of his early experiences, the significance of supporting the next generation of musicians, and the various paths to success in the music world. He reflects on the energy of live performances, the dynamics of working with his wife in music, and his future plans, emphasizing the importance of defining one's own success in the industry.

takeaways

  • Brandon Miller has been able to pursue music full-time without a traditional job.
  • His latest album, 'The Love U Bleed,' received great reviews and success.
  • Traveling to Italy for a festival was a highlight, despite the short stay.
  • Early experiences in high school shaped his understanding of the music business.
  • Mentorship and community support have been crucial in his career.
  • He emphasizes the importance of preparing for gigs and being professional.
  • Brandon is passionate about inspiring the next generation of musicians.
  • He believes in defining success on one's own terms in the music industry.
  • Live performances are about connecting with the audience and the energy of the moment.
  • Brandon's future plans include new music and tours in the UK and Europe.
Chapters
00:00
Introduction to Brandon Miller
01:00
Touring and Recent Experiences
03:00
Early Musical Influences and Support Systems
06:08
Mentorship and Community Impact
09:57
The Importance of Jamming and Learning
12:22
Defining Success in Music
14:40
The Role of Confidence on Stage
17:28
Energy and Connection with the Audience
20:22
Transitioning Between Roles in Music
24:17
Navigating Relationships in Music
28:07
Reflections on Original Music vs. Covers
31:51
Defining Your Own Success
35:15
Upcoming Projects and Tours

Creators and Guests

Guest
Brandon Miller
Brandon Miller isn’t the typical product of the small, Midwest town of Gardner, KS. From beginning to play at the age of 7, Miller always knew it was going to music that would be his driving force in life. “I’ve always wanted to play guitar, but seeing bands like Rush, Aerosmith and KISS up close gave me the thought of ‘the sky is the limit.’ I saw Kenny Wayne Shepherd when I was 17 and really saw that people wanted to watch him play guitar. That’s exactly what I wanted to do. The guitar is a special instrument that connects with people. I want to connect with people through my guitar playing.” Throughout his years of studying music formally, educationally, and experimentally through high school and into college, Miller also had a desire to write original music. “The song always comes first. That gives you the connection with the listener. You can take the journey together. With my music, I want it to give people the opportunity to relate someway. Whether that’s through pain, sorrow, anger or happiness, it gives them a way to release their emotions. We can succeed and fail together.” With musical influences such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Warren Haynes and Joe Bonamassa, he says “they are all extremely talented at their instrument, Warren and Clapton are incredible songwriters.” Miller truly holds his own candle among the few able to truly speak through his instrument and is impossible to be stylistically confined to Rock, Country, Roots, Americana. “Living in the moment and connecting with the audience. If you can’t connect with the audience at a show, what’s the point in having a show? You have to be able to take them to a place to forget about what is happening in their life. I want them to hear great songs and walk away from a great guitar show.”

What is Gig Soap?

Gig Soap Podcast is where real musicians talk about real life. Hosted by country-rock artist Chad Bourquin, each episode explores the stories behind the songs — the struggles, the pivots, the victories, and the values that keep creators moving forward. Hear from artists, songwriters, and dreamers as they talk music, mindset, and the road less traveled. Honest. Gritty. Faith-filled. Subscribe and get inspired.

Chad Bourquin (00:00)
Welcome to the Gigso Podcast. I am here today with a longtime friend, Brandon Miller of the Brandon Miller band of the Daniel Nicole band and obviously some other projects as well. Brandon has played guitar his entire life and he has done what most musicians would just have dreamed of doing is that I don't know that you ever worked a job, have you?

Brandon Miller (00:27)
⁓ you know, a few, a few side jobs here and there, you know, to, to help the dream, but you know, I'm, ⁓ I, I went, ⁓ to college and, you know, for that, that backup plan. And luckily the backup plan has never come into effect. So I'm, doing all right. Yeah. Thanks for having me, Chad. Look forward to it.

Chad Bourquin (00:30)
Side jobs, all right. They don't count. They don't count.

Yeah.

Awesome. Well, thanks for being on the show. Yeah, man.

So, you know, we were just talking a little bit before you got on here. I mean, you're you're not just playing, you're traveling the world. So tell us a little bit about where you've been lately and what's been going on.

Brandon Miller (01:00)
Yeah, you know, we had our latest album, The Love U Bleed dropped last year ⁓ and had a lot of great success with that, great reviews. So this year was kind of the follow up to that. ⁓ And we spent a lot of quite a bit of time overseas. We were in Spain for a couple of weeks and finally broke into Italy as well in July, which... ⁓

neither Danielle or I had ever been to Italy. ⁓ I guess the unfortunate part of it was we landed at about ⁓ probably 10 a.m. in the morning, went straight to soundcheck for the festival, ⁓ checked into the hotel, played the festival, and then lobby call back to the airport was about 3 a.m. So ⁓ we were in Italy for less than 24 hours, but ⁓ we checked it off the bucket list. ⁓

Chad Bourquin (01:58)
Yeah, she at least get

some good food while you were there.

Brandon Miller (02:00)
We did get some authentic Italian food and it was wonderful. we've a lot of fly dates this summer for some bigger festivals. ⁓ So it wasn't necessarily as busy as we've been before, ⁓ but mainly just due to the logistics and the travel ⁓ of getting from here to there.

Chad Bourquin (02:02)
Okay.

Brandon Miller (02:27)
and everything, but it was a good year and we're looking forward to even busier 2026 coming up.

Chad Bourquin (02:34)
Yeah, for sure. You know, I remember, you know, we first met at your high school. You know, we were we were doing this this tour, we doing the shows at school. We did one in Gardner and you come up to the table there and then and we talked then and then it was I think the next time I ran into you was when we had hired you for that Christmas to play guitar at that Christmas deal, right? Yeah.

Brandon Miller (02:42)
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, that's right. You had called me for that. ⁓

you know, I think I was, I don't know, maybe a freshman or a sophomore in high school ⁓ when you guys came to do that. And ⁓ that really hit me, you know, and seeing the business side of things ⁓ and how to take care of your finances and ⁓ which, you know, as musicians, we're not the greatest at. ⁓

Chad Bourquin (03:09)
Mm-hmm.

Brandon Miller (03:28)
because of all the gear we want, other than that, ⁓ other than that, we're wonderful. ⁓

Chad Bourquin (03:29)
Right. It's those

100 watt Marshalls in the...

Brandon Miller (03:36)
Exactly. You know, you

always need one more. know, but hey, it could be worse, guess. But yeah, and then you actually when I got that call for that, you know, those holiday lighting and the Christmas tree lighting events that you would put on around town, was, that was I was actually, you would I think you had reached out to Scotty McBee for it and he was booked and he recommended me and you know, it's,

Chad Bourquin (03:42)
Yeah.

Brandon Miller (04:05)
We're lucky here in Kansas City have such a small tight-knit community and scene here where if someone can't do it, they can think of a handful of people right off the bat. And ⁓ I was lucky early on in my career to get surrounded by some great people and some great mentors that recommended me for gigs and that really opened up a lot of doors for me. ⁓ And that was...

That was one of them, because I guess I did all right, because you kept calling me back, and you still call me back to this day. So I didn't play too loud, I guess, on that gig. But we were outside, so that helps.

Chad Bourquin (04:39)
Right, I did.

Not at that one.

Yeah, the we yeah, I mean you were Scottie's you were the first first one you were the top of his list, you know, and that said something because you weren't very old when I at that time I think you remember

Brandon Miller (05:00)
No, I'm trying to think.

I probably would have been 17 or 18 maybe, if not younger. I think luckily between hanging out with those guys at Jerry's Bait Shop in Lenexa and some of the other bands like the Rehab and Arrows that I was playing with at the time, they always were very prepared for the gigs and knew their homework. And growing up,

in going to Gardiner Edgerton High School, the band program there was ⁓ very serious and intense. So they always expected you to be prepared, ⁓ not waste their time during class. ⁓ so that was kind of drilled into me really early on to never show up and be like, I kind of know the songs or whatever it may be. ⁓ So that's...

That's something that I've always prided myself in and ⁓ that's a big reason why a lot of us musicians keep getting, the phone keeps ringing is because of that.

Chad Bourquin (06:08)
Yeah, and you had a great support system from your parents and still do to this day. I your parents are awesome.

Brandon Miller (06:12)
⁓

Absolutely. I'm very lucky to have them. They put up with a lot and they still do. ⁓ But they would drive me to the gigs and they'd stay as late as I possibly could, as late as the clubs and the bars would let me. They were always and still are huge music fans and they would go to shows and concerts all the time.

So they loved it and enjoyed it being able to share that ⁓ but I'm sure they were nervous a few times of hey we're gonna let you go hang out with these these older people drinking and the smoking when you could you know smoke cigarettes still in the bars and the clubs and everything and ⁓ you know, but they they kept a close eye on me and knew that that I was there for the music and the music only and that there's a fine line of

Chad Bourquin (06:50)
You

Brandon Miller (07:09)
if you start to venture into that world, you know, and you know, that you're lucky to be there as an underage kid in a bar and a club. So I didn't, the music was way too important to me to ever, to risk that for sure. But they, still to this day, if it's within three to four hours of Kansas City, they're driving to see the show, you know, so.

And no matter how many times I tell them they're on the guest list, they still buy a ticket. you know, yeah.

Chad Bourquin (07:39)
Yeah. Well, I mean, that speaks to character right there. You know, they're like,

and the understanding of what abundance means too, you know. So, you know, and now, you know, you're out there touring the world, literally, and yet, you get back in town and you still go to these Jerry's Jams and you're having this massive impact on this next wave of kids.

Brandon Miller (07:50)
Absolutely.

Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (08:10)
And I don't about you, but it's encouraging to me to see these young guitar players still showing up. They're not engrossed in video games all the time or whatever. They're actually, they're working hard. And so there was Nate, ⁓ then Gunner. Yeah, no. Bradley, yeah.

Brandon Miller (08:16)
Yeah. ⁓

Yeah.

Gunner, yeah, Nate Gunner, ⁓ you know, now Bradley has been coming out quite a bit,

you know, and even ⁓ there's been some drummers come through that have made the jump and everything. I've always believed in, you take as much experience as you can and you can reflect on it. ⁓

Chad Bourquin (08:44)
Yeah.

Brandon Miller (08:58)
You seem to always remember, you remember that jam and it was great and this happened and that happened and we connected. But then you can also sit back and learn and watch other people and say, you know, that one didn't quite work out. So you can learn from your mistakes as well. ⁓ And I kind of reflect on those maybe just bad timings in the jams or certain situations or the gigs. ⁓ And it's important to

to let those kids know that you're not always gonna play great or it's not gonna be the best gig because yeah, especially at a jam, right, yeah, when you're trying to rely on other people that may not know the song or, know, but it's, you know, it's all a learning experience, ⁓ whether it's good or bad. ⁓ And you can learn that from other people if you're waiting to get up to jam and you see something happen and as a band leader.

Chad Bourquin (09:35)
That's a jam on a song you don't know. ⁓

Yeah.

Brandon Miller (09:57)
you know, they didn't quite communicate properly or to the band that they can learn from that. ⁓ But I've always, you know, ⁓ I kind of stepped away from the Jam Night crew for a couple years when we really started touring hard and heavy. ⁓ And I would still go back when I was home, but it was ⁓ I would just go to hang out, you know, and kind of touch base and reconnect with everybody.

but when COVID hit, was kind of like, okay, I'm going to be home for a while. There's no gigs. ⁓ and I kind of, you know, Mike over at Jerry's, he reached out to me. He's like, you know, I'd like to get the jam night going up again, but we'll kind of start it just acoustically and, know, maybe somebody can get up and sing with you and slowly implement it back. And ever since I've, I've tried to.

to be there as much as I can, ⁓ even if it means, and thankfully my band's cool about it, but if we have a gig on Thursday and it's 12 hours away, it's like, okay, well, bus calls at 2 a.m. and I'll get home from Jerry's about 2 a.m. and then I'll be the one to sacrifice and take first shift and drive to wherever we're going. ⁓ But it's something that I like to...

of repay to that next generation because I saw those fellow musicians ⁓ like yourself and especially at Jerry's like Scotty and Justin and Brett and Guy and so many other players that maybe weren't a part of the A-Team band but were there and they're regulars and ⁓ they taught me so much and how to be a part of a band and how to be a professional and play with others and

Chad Bourquin (11:36)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Brandon Miller (11:54)
If you get to a part of the song and it's getting weird and you just go with it and there might be a detour here or there, but never let them, never let the audience know that you made a mistake or that you don't know what's happening in the band. It's just like, it cool. ⁓ And they did that for me. And ⁓ that's just something I've always wanted to show the next generation. It's like, you can play music for a living still.

You can define your own success, whether it's, hey, I just want to play in a cover band and have fun. You can do that and make money. You can still live here in Kansas City and tour. You can move to Nashville like Nate and Gunnar and the list goes on and on. But I want to just give that fire and that passion to the younger generation to...

really put the time and the effort into it and you can see the results through your playing and ⁓ kind of that 10,000 hour rule of the more you do it, the more enjoyable it's gonna be. ⁓ I think letting some of the kids see what you can do in the music world and travel and you may not have

the biggest house or the most money or the nicest car, but it's like, if your bills are paid and there's roof over your head and food on the table and at the end of the day, you're able to play music. mean, what more can you ask for? And there's so many avenues in the music industry. We know other friends that have moved to Nashville years ago, like Dan or Tyler and all these cats. And some of them, my buddy, John Goolsby, it's like,

Chad Bourquin (13:25)
doing what you love.

Mm-mm.

Brandon Miller (13:45)
Some of them go there and they just want to play shows and they play shows or other guys are studio musicians and other guys are songwriters. ⁓ You don't have to be the front man. You don't have to be the star. There's a lot of different opportunities and options in the music world that you can chase for sure.

Chad Bourquin (14:07)
Yeah, one of the things Bradley shared with me and experience he had with you that I thought was kind of defines what you're talking about here by supporting. He's like, he was on a jam with you and ⁓ he was kind of tucked back in the stage and you got, and you physically actually pushed him to the front of the stage. He would get out of his comfort zone, you know, ⁓ that had a huge impact on him. You know, was like, Hey, you know, Brandon, this guy is touring the world just told me I need to be in.

Brandon Miller (14:25)
Yeah.

Absolutely.

Chad Bourquin (14:38)
the stage, not sitting back.

Brandon Miller (14:40)
Yeah, absolutely. And that's something that even as a professional sometimes, you kind of forget. You get in the moment or your amp isn't sounding right, so you're tweaking stuff and you forget. like, OK, I have to be comfortable, but I have to put on a show and entertain as well. And it takes me all the way back to another mentor of mine. It was Terry Adams, who is actually the one who

told my parents about Jerry's jam night at the bait shop and everything. And he's like, hey, you should bring him up and play two songs. And Terry was always one of those ⁓ in the band he was in at the time called Stage Fright. ⁓ They would invite me out and I'd play a set with them. And I ended up in the band and playing the whole night. But Terry would always look over at me and I'm just this 13 year old kid trying to keep up and Terry's over there playing the drums and I'm just.

you know, looking down, focusing on the guitar and Terry would look over and he would just be like, smile, Bob your head, but look like you're having fun. And I'd just be like, nope, I'm just, I'm, I am focused right here, you know? And, and so, ⁓ he still gives me a hard time about that. ⁓ but that's something, you know, it's like with Bradley and, you know, a lot of, a lot of young entertainers that and performers that are nervous.

Chad Bourquin (15:46)
Yeah.

All

Brandon Miller (16:05)
It's like your superpower is the guitar or the drums or whatever, your vocals, whatever instrument you're playing. So when you're holding that guitar, you have the confidence to do anything and everything you want. And you stand out there because 99 % of the people in the room are going, man, I wish I could do that. You know, we did a

with Danielle, we did a run with George Thorogood years ago and he came into the dressing room one night and we were all getting ready to go on for the opening set and he had his guitar on and his sunglasses and everything and he comes in and he's like, are you guys ready to go in the night? It's a good crowd out there, I think it's sold out. We were up in the Northeast, where they're all from, so it was like sold out theater every night. ⁓

He goes, he goes, what do you think of this guitar? And I was like, that's wonderful guitar, it's beautiful. And he goes, you know what? He goes, see the back of this guitar? And he turns the headstock around and it just had number one on it. He goes, you know what that means? I was like, is that your number one guitar? He goes, I'm number one. When I step on that stage, I'm the best guitar player in the world right there. And I was like, that's huge, you know?

Chad Bourquin (17:27)
Yeah.

Brandon Miller (17:28)
That's what they're paying the ticket for. In that moment, there is nobody better. You and you ⁓ gotta have the confidence and you gotta own it.

Chad Bourquin (17:37)
Yeah, know, one of the somebody that just went to a show years recently, I was talking to him. They they described you as having a

They used the word energy. They said they loved the energy and they weren't talking about your, they weren't talking about like you were running around the stage. They were like the, the energy you were emitting was what they noticed, you know? And I mean, I like, so that reminded me of when we had you like at the town center event and you were sound checking and it was 104 degrees out for sound check. And

Brandon Miller (18:10)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (18:15)
And on pavement, you know, and so it's just it probably 120 on that pavement. And I'm sitting there off stage watching you guys and you start your first note of the sound check and there's nobody there. It's you and the tax. And you started the first note of the sound check and like all of you were just like instantly into the song. I mean, like. And how that just had such an impact on me, how do you just

Brandon Miller (18:40)
Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (18:45)
you were able to flip that on instantly. Like, cause I like, I know when I'm doing soundcheck, I'm sitting there saying, it's like, okay, is my levels all right and all this, you know, don't need to fix anything. Not you guys, at least not that one. It was just like, It's the switch flipped. were in the moment right there for a sound check. And I was like, wow, that was cool. And no wonder that you play all over the

Brandon Miller (18:54)
Yeah, right. Yeah.

not that one.

Well, thank you.

Chad Bourquin (19:14)
that's what people are paying to see is that you're connecting with the music so fast yourself so now they can connect with you.

Brandon Miller (19:17)
Yeah.

Absolutely. ⁓ And something that I really strive for as well as Danielle and every time we play, it's all about the song and that moment right there. Like you said, if we're putting out that much energy and emotion into every note, then the crowd and the audience and the listener can soak up as much as they possibly can and then we just feed off of each other and it just...

gets a snowball effect of like, how big could this go until it just explodes? And I think, you know, early on I was playing in a lot of cover bands and I even, before tribute bands were a thing, you know, I was like a 16 year old kid and, you know, they were like, hey, you wanna dress up as Kiss and get paid for it? I was like, sure, why not? You know, so I did all of that and, but then it was like, once I...

Chad Bourquin (20:17)
You were free.

Brandon Miller (20:22)
Once I really started, and I had always written music and like, you know, my band Static DuTen and middle school and high school, we had original music. So it wasn't like I didn't do it. once I kind of gave everything else up and solely went full in on the original music to where, you know, people aren't so much comparing you to another artist or saying, I love your version of this song.

I love when you cover this song and they're just like, know, ⁓ one of the biggest compliments I got was ⁓ from another local guitar legend here, know, Freddie Francis in town. You know, we were doing a show and he was there and he was like, he came to me afterwards. He was like,

He's like, you've always been technically right there and the tone is great and everything. He's like, but now when I hear something or I hear a video on Facebook or wherever it may be, he's like, I hear you're playing and I go, that's Brandon. Like you finally found your voice and your identity and you know, that's it. And once I was able to, you know, stop trying to sound like somebody, know, Steve Ray Vaughan or

Chad Bourquin (21:41)
Yeah.

Brandon Miller (21:41)
Jimmy Page or whoever it may be it's like those influences are still there but once you just trust your voice and and go for it you can really like you said emerge yourself in every note of every song and to where it's oozing out of you and you know, it's it's ⁓ it's odd because growing up in high school and stuff I was playing so many cover gigs and you play for four hours and by the end of it you're like man, I'm I'm exhausted

And then you start to go out on the road and you're like, now I have to take that four hours and compact it into, you know, usually the longest set will do is a 90 minute set or you're on a festival and they're like, everybody gets 60 minutes. So you're like, you have to take all that into 60 minutes and you're even more exhausted because it's, you know, it's the songs that you write and it's the story that you have to tell. And it really.

And Danielle really playing with her, ⁓ really, mean, just, I don't know how she does it every night, singing and playing bass and just like.

Chad Bourquin (22:48)
That's a unique gift in its own, just singing and playing bass. Yeah.

Brandon Miller (22:50)
Yeah, to just sit there every night and watch that and be like, how do you just,

you know, put all that out there for 90 minutes every night? But it's contagious. And, you know, you have something to prove as well on the road because people are paying money to see and you don't want to let them down. you know, the first time you're, you know,

Chad Bourquin (22:58)
you

Brandon Miller (23:17)
playing in a different city and nobody knows you, but they're singing the words to your songs. Or we go to Europe and you know, it's like we're in Germany and I don't speak any German, but they're singing the song, like the words to the songs. And you're like, man, this is, I never dreamed of this. You I just wanted to play guitar. So, ⁓ but yeah, you know, I appreciate that. That means a lot that you felt that. That's what our heroes did.

to us to make us feel that way and that's all we strive for in the end, you know?

Chad Bourquin (23:52)
Yeah, you know, and so you've got an interesting, unique thing, because I know that the Brandon Miller band has opened for the Daniel Nicole band. So you've got to change roles with probably about what a 15 minute break.

Brandon Miller (23:58)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Yeah, usually

that 15 to 20 minutes, know, you go back and change shirts and...

Chad Bourquin (24:08)
Yeah. What was that like?

Cause you go from I'm leading even to now I'm supporting.

Brandon Miller (24:17)
Yeah, you know, it's, it's

It's, you kind of just got to pace yourself a little bit, you know? It's like for the opening set, we might get 30 or 40 minutes. So you're trying to say everything you can in that 30 to 40 minute set and get your point across. And then as soon as you come back, you just take a breath and relax and then get in that mindset of still, I'm still here to support.

the song and the lyrics and the melody and that's Danielle. you know, it's I play off of her at that point. You know, she's the lead and the song comes first and foremost ⁓ for us, know, even in my trio where it's guitar driven, you know, I always say that I'm a guitar player first and then I...

decided to sing later in life, you know, out of necessity. But with Danielle, it's just, it's all about supporting her voice and the song. And it is a different mindset in a sense that...

Chad Bourquin (25:34)
And for those that don't know, you're married too.

Brandon Miller (25:37)
Yeah, we are married. yeah, on top of that. ⁓

But, you know, so it's a beautiful thing, though, you know, it's something that, ⁓ you know, to be able to share that with, you know, the person you love and you spend the most time with and you travel the world with, there's nothing like it. ⁓ but you do have to step back and you're like, OK, you know, I played all the notes I could in my music. ⁓

Thankfully I saved some for the rest of show. yeah, it's fun to do that because my trio doesn't tour as much, but it gives the audience a chance to see maybe what I do or what my music is and if I gave them more guitar.

They're like, well, what's your CD sound like or what's your vinyl sound like? I'm like, well, there's more guitar. So if you like more guitar, I would get it. ⁓ So they get to experience that too. And it's fun because it's similar enough yet just different enough that it works for the opening slot, which is nice. And we keep it all in house.

Chad Bourquin (26:40)
Right.

Yeah, one of the

funny things that happened at that same town's dinner show, I don't know if you remember this, but we were, you got done sound checking and we were over figuring out the merch stuff and your keyboard player, I don't remember his name, but he goes, he looks at you, goes, you wearing a Brandon Miller shirt on stage tonight? And Daniel like without even, she didn't miss a beat, she goes, not on my stage.

Brandon Miller (27:11)
Daemon, yeah.

That's right. Yep. You got it. Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (27:24)
It's like, okay,

at least right at that point, the hierarchy had been determined for that show. And you were totally cool with it. I know this is the way this goes. It's just like my wife, not in my house. Not in my house. Yeah, so man, so much good stuff here. ⁓

Brandon Miller (27:34)
Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. You know, that's right. That's right.

Yep.

Chad Bourquin (27:55)
I mean, is there anything you can think back as like you would have told yourself to do differently? You know, if you got to talk to you at Bradley's age or Gunner's age.

Brandon Miller (28:07)
Ummm...

You know, I probably would have told myself to...

maybe focus on original music a little earlier than what I did. didn't until, you my first album came out. just turned 20 when I released my first solo album. And I, you know, I had written a lot of that stuff in high school in my first year or two of college. And I did do an EP with Static 210, my band from high school, but

that didn't last long, you know? And the funny thing about that band was, you know, we're all four, you know, when we really started gigging a lot, were 15, I was 15, the other guys were 16 and they were a year older than me. But we were kind of this little niche band of 15 and 16 year old high school kids, but we were playing.

The Beatles and REO Speedwagon and Peter Frampton and we would do Freebird, you know? So it's like all of our parents and their friends were like, dude, this is so cool. Like all these kids are into classic rock and everything. But we kind of got stuck in a rut where as a 15 year old kid, you know, you go do a cover band gig and they're like, it's a hundred dollars a man, you know? And at 15 years old, you're like, this is sweet.

Chad Bourquin (29:34)
Yeah. Yeah. Not at 45 years old, but at 15 is great. Yeah. Yeah.

Brandon Miller (29:34)
You know, it's way better than working at McDonald's. Yeah. And then you fast forward 20 years later, you still make a hundred bucks a gig.

You know, they didn't tell us that, but. But, you know, it was like we did that and we were we were gigging a lot and we would do private parties and, you know, outdoor street festivals and fairs and we were making really good money as high school kids. I mean.

Chad Bourquin (29:46)
Right.

Brandon Miller (30:03)
as any band, but let alone a bunch of high school kids. So whenever we would get the opportunity to go play original music, we were excited about it. But you you do a show with three other rock bands in high school and at the end of the night, they're like, okay, here's your $16 and your $16. And, but it was like, then we look at it we're like, wait, we have to divide. We made $16 as a band, you know? And we're like, it was just that fine line of,

Chad Bourquin (30:15)
Bye.

Brandon Miller (30:33)
We kind of just got stuck worrying about, ⁓ let's go make money instead of ⁓ really pushing the original music. So I think that's something ⁓ that I would go back and tell myself to do differently, at least explore that more. ⁓ Looking back at it now, I see ⁓ younger generations and kids or even

you know, back in the day, like other kids we went to high school with, that would go other bands that we knew that were in a Latha or Overland Park and stuff that we would do those shows with. was like, man, there's just something so raw and just rock and roll about it that we were, I guess.

I don't know, just a little too polished or ⁓ just on the professional side of things with the cover band where you're like, you gotta look this way and do that. ⁓ So I think that would probably be the main thing was just the original music and allowing that creativity to come out a little bit more. Yeah.

Chad Bourquin (31:24)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah. I mean, do you think, do

you think artists get trapped in thinking they have to do one or the other and so they don't really focus on, you know?

Brandon Miller (31:51)
I think so, yeah. I think

you're 100 % right on that. And it's something that we discuss and other original artists where it's like, there's a younger, I wouldn't say younger generation, but even like kids maybe in their late 20s, early 30s that, like you said,

We're like, well, I either only can do original music or I can only do cover band stuff. maybe they maybe they see that they're like, well, this is just easy money. I can go out and make 150 bucks a night. And or I could join this tribute band and make even more money. And they're like, well, I can make money and buy all the cool gear I want. And they maybe later in life regret not taking that chance on original music or even

Or even just taking that chance and moving to Nashville or LA or New York and collaborating with other people on original music. Or even if you're just a hired gun, you're still a part of that creative mindset of the music side of things rather than you're more of an entertainer rather than an artist.

⁓ And that's a tough thing because there are, you it's just like you see different tribute bands playing around the country and things and you're like, there's a tribute band for this artist and this artist. And you're like, you know, like, ⁓ I don't want to call anybody out. But like, there's some bands where you just see a tribute to such and such. And you're like, I can only think like, I can only think of like two or three hits that they had. Like how?

How can you do a whole 90 minute set and I can't even think of more than two or three songs that they did or that were on the radio. But ⁓ it is what it is. I guess as long as you're playing music and you're happy doing it, then I can't judge.

Chad Bourquin (33:59)
Well, I

think that's the bottom line. You know, I'm happy doing it, know, am I making the decision because of money or because this is my...

Brandon Miller (34:10)
Right. Yeah. And it's kind of the same thing. know, can, you can, we were talking about that yesterday about Danielle and I about we, kind of circle back to, you know, defining your own success. Um, and don't let anybody else define your own success or compare it to someone else's success. And, you know, it's like, yeah, you can play original music or you can just play in a cover band or a tribute band, whatever it may be. And you can compare that to.

you know, other business avenues and entrepreneurs where you're like, hey, I want to you can either open your own unique one of a kind burger joint or you can say, hey, I just want to own a franchise of McDonald's. You know, it's still a burger joint. You still you're cooking, you're doing all that. But, ⁓ you know, there as long as you're happy and you serve people or whatever it may be. And, you know, then that's your purpose and you're cool with it. So.

Chad Bourquin (35:09)
Yeah, for sure. So what's on the horizon? What's coming up this next year for you guys?

Brandon Miller (35:15)
Yeah, we just, back in November, we did the first session for our latest album. ⁓ We tracked out and finished up seven songs. So we'll be ⁓ finishing up the second half of the album probably in February. And that'll be out probably mid to late summer. ⁓

In January, we're hitting the UK for about a week and a half over there. And then coming home, ⁓ going down to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge with the Blues Foundation. ⁓ We were very involved in the Blues Foundation in Memphis. ⁓ We're usually down there hanging out for the Blues Challenge as well as the Blues Music Awards Week in May, ⁓ where they...

have the Hall of Fame inductees and then the award ceremony. And then recently another thing that we're getting more involved with, kind of like you had mentioned with the Jerry's Jam Night and the Next Generation and the Youth, but in June will be, ⁓ we did it this past year for the first time, but we work with the Pine Top Perkins Youth Foundation and they do a youth workshop down in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

⁓ You know, the Crossroads and the Home of the Blues down there. ⁓ And they do that. So we're going to be going back down there and teaching some youth workshop classes and hanging out with the kids for a week. ⁓ we look forward to that. ⁓ But then we'll be on the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise at the end of January, beginning of February. ⁓ We're getting ready to announce a big Northeast tour in March and April. ⁓

to Europe in July for most of the month. And then we have a big European tour in November next year as well. ⁓ We'll be hitting the Pacific Northwest. It's gonna be a really busy year, which is good.

Chad Bourquin (37:24)
Yeah, I mean if somebody says, uses the term, living the dream, it really seems like that's what you're doing.

Brandon Miller (37:31)
Yeah, you know, it's, ⁓ yeah. And it's, ⁓ it's funny when people, we like to, you know, we, we still love to live here in Kansas city and we couldn't really, there's a few places we were like, it might be cool to live there, live there, but you know, Kansas city is always going to be home. ⁓ and it, allows us to, to tour differently than others and figure out the logistics. ⁓

Chad Bourquin (37:32)
I'm just saying that you are actually doing it.

Brandon Miller (38:00)
And like you said, living the dream of being able to, you know, do an overnight drive real quick and we're on the East Coast. We're up in Philly or New York, or, you know, we can start a West Coast tour and just drive overnight. And we're down in Phoenix and then San Diego, LA, and we work up the coast. ⁓ But we're, you know, a small operation and we like to keep it a small operation. ⁓

Chad Bourquin (38:29)
clean.

Brandon Miller (38:30)
And yeah, lean and and we, know, Danielle and I do all the driving, you know, and we've been having Pat Adams play a lot of drums with us lately. Kelsey Cook has been drumming as well. ⁓ But, know, it's a small operation and we work hard and when we go out, you know, we don't we don't like days off. So we'll do I think our craziest one last year was

Chad Bourquin (38:32)
I

Brandon Miller (39:00)
And somehow, somehow Danielle was able to sing through it, but we did 12 shows in 13 days. ⁓ I think that was like, you know, 4,000 miles. ⁓ And you just, you know, we like to get out and work and then we get home and then we can stay home for, you know, two weeks and not have to stretch out a tour for too long. So it's definitely living the dream for sure.

Chad Bourquin (39:25)
Yeah. Man, I really appreciate you being on. I mean, so good to catch up with you.

Brandon Miller (39:29)
Absolutely. Yeah, thanks for reaching out and having me. I always love catching

up and it's always fun. We didn't even get to talk gear this time, so we'll have to do it again.

Chad Bourquin (39:38)
Yeah, thanks for all. Well,

yeah, we will. We'll do it again. Talk gear.

Brandon Miller (39:44)
Yeah, for sure.

Chad Bourquin (39:45)
All right, dude, have a great day, Thanks, Brandon. You've been listening to Brandon Miller on Gixxo.