Bryan Lanning Releases Debut Country Album “Same Town”
Bryan Lanning was born to a single mother in San Diego, California where he lived with his older sister in a small apartment. At 6 years old, his grandma moved his mom and family from sunny California, to live with her in Idaho on her home ranch while she helped his mom back on her feet. Shortly after, Lanning’s mom married a man who moved the family away to the mountains, where they experienced a country life that was vastly different from what he was used to. They lived off the land, ate what his parents hunted, and chopped and gathered wood to stay warm. It was then he became a fan of country music.
San Diego music artists who started in the 1990s included Eddie Vedder, Stone Temple Pilots, Blink-182, Jewel, and Switchfoot. Which artists did you listen to with your grandmother, mom, and sister Bev growing up?
Blink-182 without a doubt. They were playing everywhere we were in San Diego. My mom played a lot of Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Outkast, and Tracy Chapman too.
I read that you would record Top 40 songs from the radio on cassette tapes. Have you since recorded any covers of your favorite songs from your childhood?
I haven’t… yet! Still trying to figure out how to put a country spin on “Red Red Wine” and “Hey Ya!”…
After moving to Idaho to live on a family ranch, a fourth-grade choir teacher heard you sing and put you in the children’s opera. How did that experience become the foundation of your learning to use your voice as an instrument?
It certainly gave me a lot of confidence, which I was lacking. It also gave me a lot of technical knowledge and technique regarding the music and notes themselves and how to properly take care of my voice.
You then moved to a rural area in the mountains and entered competitions for fishing, archery, and hunting. If you were to write a country song based on that time in your life what would you title it?
You’ve really got me thinking now! haha I think “Bullseye” would be a killer song title honestly for something like that. I also have a song on the album called “See the Stars” that is inspired by that time in my life and that type of lifestyle.
Earning a videographer degree from Boise State University. How did you choose your college major?
Welp, I never really ended up getting a degree, haha! I was all over the place in college. I started out with programming, which I did for 2 years. I just couldn’t get past the math part of it. So, I became an art major and started sculpting, drawing, and filming. My mom was thrilled! haha!
After marrying Missy, your high school sweetheart, you two decided to move back to California. Last year you opened Cali Co. Music Studios. Who are some local up-and-coming artists you’ve worked with?
Rachel Talbott has always been a good friend of mine and she has a phenomenal voice. She helped write a song of mine called “Golden State of Mind” and I have a cut with one of her songs coming out next month called “Gone Fishing.” Really fun stuff!
Starting a social media vlog, Daily Bumps. The vlog, with five million subscribers, centers around everyday life stories. How difficult a decision was it to post your private life stories such as when you were starting a family?
It was more about sharing experiences we had gone through, to help others who were going through the same thing. It wasn’t that difficult to be honest, because we’ve always been very honest and transparent people.
You’ve shared pop music videos (“Who Knew”, “This Is Home”, “Like a Lion”) on the vlog, but also have a separate page for your music. With diverse audiences, how do you balance content for the sites?
My wife runs a lot of the daily family vlog stuff and I focus on music. So, we each have our focused roles.
New album “Same Town” is your country music debut. Would you say this release is more making music for yourself versus the YouTube audience?
Definitely. These stories are honest and real. I got wrapped up in what I thought people wanted to hear for years so it really feels like a homecoming for me. If you listen to some of my first singles “This Is Home” and “Who Knew” you’ll hear they definitely skewed more country.
You wrote that the songs are “based off the idea that you can find the same thing in every town if you look close enough.” Was there one event that inspired the album’s theme?
Not really. I just really wanted a title that could be unifying and bring us all together and find common ground.
“Coming home”. California and now country. What’s ahead in your vlog and music journeys?
I’m headed to Nashville this week to record and write with a couple artists and I’ll be vlogging all that. Hopefully next year I can hit the stage, and really show the behind the scenes of that whole world. Being able to take my kids to different places and have them experience the world in their own right is pretty powerful too.
