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Austin Brown has had a lot of serendipitous happenings in his life. Little did he know, a global pandemic would lead to the latest fortuitous moment: beginning his solo career.
Brown has spent the last seven years in country music’s only a cappella group, Home Free, which he calls “the dream of my life.” The son of a Southern gospel singer, Brown’s earliest memories growing up in Tifton, Georgia, involve the stage and, coincidentally, quartet-style harmony. After playing lead in several of his high school productions, Brown went on to pursue a degree in music theater. His first post-college gig was singing on cruise ships, which sent him around the world — but more importantly, led him to Home Free. “I saw their show, they saw my show, we got drunk together, and the rest, as they say, is history,” Brown recalls with a laugh.
Just after Brown joined Home Free, the group gained traction on NBC’s The Sing-Off, which they won in 2013. Since then, the fivesome has toured the globe and released four studio albums, achieving critical acclaim in and out of the country music sphere. Along the way, Brown has written countless songs on his own, with a handful of them becoming Home Free tracks. “I did so many things that the guys in the band really loved, but weren’t necessarily right for Home Free,” Brown says. “And the more I did, the more they would say, ‘Hey, you need to start releasing this stuff.’” When the coronavirus pandemic put Home Free’s 2020 world tour on hold, Brown was presented with the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Now living in his dream home just outside of Nashville, Brown officially kicked off his solo venture in August 2020 via the crowd-funding platform Patreon. Much of Home Free’s success has come from the subscription-based service, showing Brown how dedicated the Home Free fan base is and, in turn, giving him the confidence to pursue his own project. One thing Brown wants to make very clear, though, is that this venture does not mean the end of his Home Free tenure. “I’m never going to not be in Home Free,” Brown declares. “Method Man is still in the WuTang Clan, you know what I mean?”
That comparison may feel a bit extraneous for a singer rooted in country, but that boundary is exactly what Brown wants to break with his own material. His debut single, “Earn It,” features 808 drums and electronic beat drops, a far cry from the vocal-driven melodies of Home Free. Though the track may have a very different sound than what Brown’s fans are used to, its message stays true to his grassroots Southern upbringing. The “Earn It” narrative also encompasses Brown’s solo journey, as he’s set on paving his own path and not letting a label decide his fate.
“I’m not interested in that traditional framework,” Brown says. “What I am interested in, at least finding my own sound, is the breadth and scope of how many different kinds of sounds we can do,” Brown says. “We” includes Brown’s best friend and business partner, Steven Martinez who produces and plays guitar on all of Brown’s solo music (“the wizard behind the curtain,” as Brown puts it). The pair have around 40 original tracks that Brown is hoping to release frequently with the help of his Patreon following (known as “patrons”), all the while working on new material with Home Free — a balance that has become rather seamless during the quarantine.
Brown also plans to make covers part of his solo catalog, pleasing the Home Free fans who love their unique renditions of new and old hits. And those who latched on to Brown’s country sound need not worry: He’s certainly not completely straying from his roots. “I want to do every end of the country music spectrum,” Brown asserts. “I want to do country as classic and pure as Willie Nelson, and then I also want to do country as modern and hip as Sam Hunt. Because I am all those things. I’m not just one kind of music.” Above all, Brown is hoping his songs will empower those who listen, whether they’re longtime
fans or a brand new follower. “I’m very much a peace, love and light guy,” he says. “The only goal I have with my career and with my music is to be happy, and to feel like I’m putting something out in the world that makes the world better, and makes the people around me better. I want to give people — my patrons, most specifically — music that lifts them up when they need it.”
While the future of touring remains uncertain, Brown is focused on creating and releasing as much as he can. Once things pick up again, he’s confident Home Free and Austin Brown the solo act can live in harmony. “I like to daydream about a day where I can be at the Grammys, CMAs and ACMs with my band, sharing both parts of myself equally and not having to hold anything back,” he expresses.
With a fruitful career and a dedicated fan base in his arsenal, Brown is looking forward to an eventful and music-full future — but already feels like a winner. “As long as I can pay the mortgage for the next 30 years, man, everything else is just gonna be icing on the cake.”