One month into his ‘Heart Is A Ghost Town’ debut album, Los Angeles rock singer Brian Burn continues to stir an upstream fuss across the Southern California music scene. Nervous and mildly tense, Burn sat down and disclosed the development and creation of his album, back story and shed light into future endeavors and ambitions.
Upon arriving in his West Los Angeles apartment, the neon lights of skyscrapers grew furiously in the skyline. The meticulous attention to his personal space was instantly noticed. Off white, light mocha and oak plywood furniture was neatly placed throughout his living room. His hospitality was warm and welcoming as he walked over to the front door allowing the ominous traffic soundtrack of an overcrowded city. Drilled onto the heavy door was an italicized ‘3’ with a friendly “No Peddlers, Agents or Solicitors” sign defining the aggressive ambition of the entertainment capitol of the world. After reaching the couch nearest to the door, he placed himself before his coffee table taking a few breaths of bravery and certainty. Wearing a V-neck black shirt with a string threaded necklace and fitted purple pants, he reached over to his coffee table and began sipping gently from a Las Vegas mug with a spaded straight flush decorated around the body. Next to his mug sat a jar with pocket change totaling a few dollars and an acoustic guitar and electric keyboard summing up his sacred escape.
Heart Is A Ghost Town’s six-song album was released the first week of July on digital format. It’s Self produced and released. What were the steps taken in completing the album and launching it to where it is now?
Basically, I wrote the songs, I wrote ideas over the course of a year or two. I have a partner I work with, Muddy, whose worked with the Jonestown Massacre and right now he’s currently playing bass for Chris Robinson Brotherhood, and I took the acoustic, singer and songwriter folk version to him and we made it into a band project. We initially started with close to ten songs, but I cut them off because I wanted the album to be very strong. I basically took it from acoustics and brought it to him, he added more instruments and produced it.
The first single off the album is “Flames.” It’s a catchy hook melody that sticks in your tongue. How did “Flames” become the lead in single over the other tracks?
It was kind of the song the whole album was built upon, I felt it was very strong and I built the album around it. I felt it had the most meaning to me you know, coming from the place that I came from. For me, Heart Is A Ghost Town describes so many things that I was going through at the time, I thought I was never going to love again. I was at the lowest of lows and I didn’t feel like I fit with humanity at all or played a part. So, it’s the most autobiographical and it meant the most to me.
That process began a year and a half, two years ago. That mental processes you stated, those emotions, do they still carry on currently? Or would you say you’ve matured to a different state?
I’d say I’ve come full circle (chuckles.) If you listen to the record, you’re at that despair level. Then towards the end you come out of it and realize there IS love to be had. At the moment, I’m experiencing ANOTHER heartbreak but I wont let that dictate the next record (laughs.)
The indie artist scene is saturated with people clawing to get exposure, especially in the Los Angeles Market. What makes you different from the undiscovered artists of L.A?
I think my album is very different, very original. I’m not trying to copy anybody; I’m not trying to be anyone else. I’m going with what’s true to me, I write from the heart. I wouldn’t call the album ‘emo’ but it’s definitely very emotional. My lyrics are metaphorical; you can take many different meanings out of the lyrics. Some can say they are breakup songs but you can take lots of different things out of those. But I think it’s different. I try to pay homage to the people I respect. Obviously I’m not as heavy as Marilyn Manson but I try to incorporate my love for bands like Marilyn Manson and things like that. I try to have that same darkness in my style.
Burn recently performed at Hemmingway’s in Hollywood a week after his debut. He’s performed at the Viper Room and the Hard Rock Cafe and has an upcoming show with Golden State at Los Globos on Sunset August 13th. What does your upcoming calendar feature?
Hemmingway’s is a place I’ve wanted to play for a while. It’s a really beautiful spot and a nice venue. It’s a goal I’ve had to play there, but obviously I didn’t have a full band. So, I put a band together and I’ve been in talks with them since January. Now with the band together, I’ve accomplished a few goals. We have plans to do another night at the Viper Room and Boardners as well.
With the band you assembled six months ago, will it be headlined as “Brian Burn” or will the moniker change?
Brian Burn, for sure. Just like if Elliot Smith would switch up his band, it would still be Elliot Smith.
What is it about the band sharing the stage with you that made the final cut?
They’re all really cool dudes and they don’t have huge egos. They dig the tunes and that’s all that’s really important. They like the music, they play good, they like to jam, they like to rock and they play loud. They like some of the same music I like it’s going to be fun. It wont be exactly like the album recording, but it’s going to be good.
What thematic, messages, obscurities or subtexts would you say your album includes?
The song ‘Alive’ for example, when it says “When you come, I will alive” or “I’m inside of you tonight” could easily be taken as a sexual meaning but what it was, I met this person who made me feel alive. I felt dead for so long that I didn’t feel like I would ever love again. Hence, Heart Is A Ghost Town. Then I met this girl, and she sparked something inside me, she got my heart beating again. But it can be taken as something sexual; maybe subconsciously it could have something to do with that.
Flames expresses heartbreak from a low point in life, now you state Alive features someone reigniting hope into your dark narrow pathway. Is the album based on one person specifically, or does it feature multiple stories?
It features different stories, different people, different circumstances, different interactions and my take on those. The album is a culmination of all the people I’ve loved and what they’ve left me with. It’s desolate, dark, there’s nothing. It’s a ghost town. (Laughs.)
Being an independent artist, what do you want first time listeners to take from your album?
Hopefully it’s something that people feel. I want people to feel it. When I first started hearing music, you know, the hair in the back of my neck would stand up and it rang true to what I was going through and the day I was in. It would leave me inspired. Hopefully it does that to people and they’ll want to hear more.
Muddy and you collaborated and produced the album together. How did that relationship begin?
I use to play a lot of acoustic shows at the Cat Club on the Sunset Strip, which is no longer in business. They closed it down. That was the first place in L.A that I was playing a lot, about five six years ago. That’s around the time I really started playing, but it was mainly singer, songwriting stuff with an acoustic guitar. I’d hang out at the club, and I was a big fan of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and then that documentary came out called Dig, and I really got to look into the band and everything they experienced. In the DVD, I saw Muddy in there and I thought to myself “What an interesting guy.” This is long before I had decided to come to L.A. Then, hanging out at the Cat Club, I saw him there with some hot chick; I wanted to work with him and sparked up a conversation. I told him I wanted to work with him, which didn’t happen right away. It took a few months until we worked on our first song called “Poison,” which is on the record. We didn’t finish the song because I went off the deep end and disappeared with (pause,) that girl. We went out to the desert and I basically lost touch with everyone. Then after that period was over, we got together a couple years later and picked up where we left off.
Would you credit “That Girl” as the sole reason for the records existence?
Well, yeah, that’s true. Had I not experienced what I experienced it wouldn’t have come out this way, it definitely wouldn’t of been said the way I said it on the album. But I definitely would have felt it somewhere and it would have come out in some other avenue. But it was definitely a very crazy time.
With that being said, what would you want readers to take from your response?
I’d like readers to feel the emotion, I want them to understand and maybe that it’s okay to be empty, it’s okay to be sad, it’s okay to experience loss. There is always an emergence in that, there is always a point where you choose to come back and start again. I hope someone can use this and find their way out as well.
July 5th, you sold your first digital copy. What did you take from sitting in a room playing an acoustic guitar to selling your first album on ITunes?
It was an anonymous customer. I received an email and it said someone bought my album, I’m not sure if all the purchases would be anonymous, but if I new the person I would definitely say thank you. (Laughs.) It feels great, you know. It’s one of those things that say, “You’re on the right path.” Somebody is buying what I created, that’s crazy.
If you’re first customer reads this, what would you like to tell them personally?
Well, hopefully it’s not my mom. (Laughs.) But I’d like to say, that’s awesome. This makes me feel great, it makes me feel like I did something right. I hope that a few other people out there that feel this find it’s something worth purchasing.
Los Angeles has a plethora of artists struggling to reach the first step you’ve taken. What advice could you offer these ambitious artists?
Everything starts out as a metamorphosis process. Just like me, I started writing songs that I felt weren’t that great, but worked tirelessly until I felt I had improved. I had issues performing live, so I made that my next mission to conquer. It’s hard to find other musicians to play with, so if that’s the case don’t be afraid to take the guitar and sing by yourself. Find musicians that inspire you, just like I found Muddy. He’s been someone I felt I could trust one hundred percent. He is the other part of the band; he’s my musical counterpart. I trust him, I feel good about taking a song and hearing what he thinks. He’s just about taken me under his wing. Not everyone gets an opportunity like that, so I feel lucky. Some people get help from a label, but now a days, you don’t need it. Just find someone that you respect and work with him or her, pick his or her brain.
The album has been a near two-year creative process. Have you begun working on any new material since that metal state period?
I’m definitely excited to get back in the studio, that’s my favorite out of the whole process. Being in the studio and working on music keeps me alive. I already have three songs ready and I can’t wait to step into the studio and record. Possibly, that could lead to another six or seven song album, or maybe release an EP. I don’t plan on jumping into the studio tomorrow, I want to ride this albums wave for a bit and get it out to everyone. But I definitely have some things in the works.