Stephen Montoya
Broke String Brandon Burnett poses near a prop guitar in the back area at Lola's Fort Worth.
A lot has happened in the past nine months since Fort Worth Magazine had a chance to talk with local Alt-Country artist Brandon “Broke String Burnett.” Last time we met up Burnett and his band, which consists of Henry Sepulveda III (Lead Guitar), Jacob Martinez (Bass, Vocals), John Paul Thomas (Drums), and Calan Rawl (Keys), the band was in a calm headspace given they just released their new full-length album “Doppelganger.” But the restless spirit of a band catching fire can only mean one thing — more material.
Less than two months ago, Burnett released the single “Coyote” along with an animated video to boot. A few short weeks later, Burnett and crew released a follow-up single to “Coyote”, titled “Bump in the Road.” Outside of this Fort Worth-based band’s prolific output, they’ve also been awarded the posthumous Hear Fort Worth Grant, an initiative of Visit Fort Worth created to build awareness and cultivate the local Fort Worth music scene. Burnette also says he’s working on some new music for a soundtrack to a film that has yet to be made public.
Yet, with all of these things swirling around his orbit, Burnett is also celebrating his biggest accomplishment ever — fatherhood. About the same time Burnett and his band were recording and releasing singles, he welcomed his daughter Evangeline into the world with newfound vigor and purpose just a few months ago.
“If anything, it's just reinforced what I'm doing,” Burnett says with a smile. “We had a couple of Oklahoma gigs where afterwards I felt like I had so much more energy just knowing there’s a baby at home. I feel like I have new dad energy for sure.”
Burnett seems to be hitting his stride as a songwriter too, and not just because of the recent onslaught of material. Burnett’s band has the sound of seasoned pros who know when to inflect specific notes and ideas that aid each song, even if it means pulling back on their respective sections. But band be damned, Burnett can still play a solo gig like a true busking hero, an endeavor that earned him a nod from the city earlier this month.
“I just kept an eye out to see what Here Fort Worth was doing,” he says. “When I found out they were hosting an open mic night at Tannahill’s, I was there ready to play.”
This is where Burnett says he spoke with Tom Martens of Hear Fort Worth about applying for the grant.
“I immediately texted the band that night and was like, ‘Let's try to go for this,’” Burnett says. “All we had to do was confirm that we were in fact booked at three gigs out of town.”
Stephen Montoya
Once a performer has verified their gig status, they can receive anywhere from a $150 - $500 grant depending on the artist’s need, venue size and distance they have to travel. Once approved, grant recipients also receive a $150 merchandise credit from Printed Threads.
Other caveats that go along with being a grant recipient include claiming Fort Worth as the recipient’s hometown on any and all social media channels. Plus, each grantee is also required to tag @VisitFortWorth and @HearFortWorth and share how the travel grant helped them get on the road, a stipulation Burnett is more than willing to comply with.
With his bags already packed and setlist refined, Burnett and crew will be playing gigs at Floyds Lounge in Brenham, Hound Song Brewing in Columbus, The 19th Hole in Spring, and finally a Rock Bottom House Show in San Marcos. To top this all off, Burnett also verified that he and his band will be releasing a new album soon.
“In the next couple of months, we'll probably be finished with tracking at least six songs and then I'm just waiting for the mastering, but also I got the opportunity to write for a movie … for like a western movie. I don't even know how much I can talk about it. But yeah, they just want me to write an original song to run along when the credits roll,” he says.
With plenty of irons in the fire, Burnett says he’s looking forward to seeing how far he can push his dream next year.
“We’re still working steady and keeping our eyes on our goal of moving up,” he says. “I feel now, more than ever, that I have to set a good example for the other performers that are where I was when I first started out.”
