Hey everybody, if you don’t already know about Toms Shoes, let me tell you about them. They are an incredible young company based in Santa Monica. Everything is traded fairly and all wages are fair. This is a company I think needs to be supported. They are doing important work that the world needs, and they are doing it through their business model.

for every pair of shoes they sell, they donate a pair to a child in need.

and their shoes are comfortable and stylish

Please take a minute to check out their website Tom’s Shoes.

I have two pairs of my own.

Hey everybody, as you know I have been in the studio, cutting a new record. You may be curious as to how it sounds, what it is like. Lyrically, it is very much a continuation of my previous work. Stylistically it is big step in a different direction.

This new record has a different grove. My last record, So Much More, is a beautiful acoustic interpretation of my earlier songs. The new record is a less folk/singer songwriter record, and has a more of an electric vibe. I am not making a pop record, or a rock record. I am making a record that best represents the songs I am writing.

It is all over the map, with inspirations ranging from Fela Kuti’s Expensive Shit/Ransome Kuti, to Joni Mitchell’s Court And Spark, to The Rolling Stone’s Exile On Main St. It is definitely a departure, and I feel it necessary. The songs are just as sincere and meaningful as ever before, if not even more so.

I feel the need to explain this to you, because after I made So Much More, many people, including close friends told me that they thought it was too much of a departure from my previous, very raw acoustic, self titled record.

I think it is important to grow, and find out who I am as an artist. I may not even need to explain this to you, but I value your support, and I want to recognize you all as a part of it. I am continuing to explore my love of folk music as well as my love of world music, specifically music from the southern hemisphere.

I am working with a producer named John Alagia, in Los Angeles, at the Village Recorder. We have about a week left, before I head out on the road, and leave John and the engineers to mix what we have recorded. The record will come out this fall, and will most likely be called, Hope For the Hopeless.

Cheers.

Brett

For the past few weeks I have been working hard in the studio. Even though it is a lot of work, a lot of times John Alagia (producer) and Brian and Brad (engineers) do things with the tracks that don’t really need me. So instead of getting bored and sitting around, I have turned to drawing on all the guitars. Here is some guitar art.

This one is my strat, that is used on about half of my electric guitars in the studio.
this is my acoustic guitar

John really liked my martin, so he wanted one like it, but with mountains.

and this is on John’s baby martin, it is a picture of his dock and boat outside his home in Maryland. I drew it from a photograph.

You may not know, but I am a pretty avid yerba mate drinker. I drink it out of gourds, press pots, concentrated mate, tea bags, shots through an espresso machine, bottled, infused, or I drink it out of a coffee pot. The best brand is Guayaki, not only because their organic smoked mate tastes good, but because they are restoring the rainforests in South America, as well as trading all their products fairly.

I am friends with everyone at the company, and i want you all to know about them, so check out their website.

guayaki.com and take a look at their new bottle

now check out the back…

And the award for Most Beautiful Music Venue in the world goes to……..Telluride!!!! I have always wanted to play in Telluride, and I finally got to. What an amazing venue. I hope i can play it again, and again, and again……

A few days ago, a brand new Matchless amplifier was delivered to the studio. Phil, the owner and founder built it especially for me. A couple weeks ago i went to visit him at his factory in LA and i fell in love with an amp called the King Cobra. I’m so excited i got it just in time to use it on the new record and take it out on tour in July. Phil even personalized it for me with the engravings! Check it out!

For more info on Matchless amps, go to MatchlessAmplifiers.com

Brett’s performances from Coachella are now streaming from the AT&T Blue Room! Check out Darlin’ Do Not Fear, Blessed & When You Feel It here.