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Put your hands on the remote! browse music »Too Cold At Home by Bryen Willems
fave it Traditional Country | Country Blues
- sampleLonesome, On'ry And Mean
- sample11 Months And 29 Days
- sampleToo Cold At Home
- sampleDeep Down I'm Shallow
- sampleAs Long As I Live
- sampleHighway Junkie
- sampleHonky-Tonk Song
- sampleAnother Day, Another Dollar
- sampleBeer And Lipstick
- sampleBaby Are You Runnin'
- sampleJust A Closer Walk With Thee
Music redolent of humid backwoods lethargy where even the most foot stomping track is delivered with a laid back drawl; music that is rugged, unpretentious, honest, and real.
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Bio / Background
BRYEN WILLEMS
Bryen Willems (a.k.a. “the Swamp Duck”) usually fronts five piece band Bryen and the Bayou Boogie Boys - playing a mix of originals and drawing from a virtual treasure trove of the best country, blues, swamp and southern rock from the last 50 years.
Bryen’s debut album TOO COLD AT HOME was released early 2007. Recorded at Unit 4 Studios, with producers Gary Brown and Les Scott – the album is a collection of originals and songs that have influenced Bryen over the decades.
“Too Cold At Home is a fine collection of both originals and great, if not that well known, Cajun country tracks Bryen Willems plays music that is rugged, unpretentious, honest and it’s real.” Deborah Minter, CapNews
He has worked with artists such as duo SweeneyKilleen, Ronni Rae Rivers and Nicki Gillis, as well as several overseas acts including Cajun songstress Gayla Lejeune and Texan Floramay Holliday.
↓ more ↓In addition to fronting his own band, Bryen also has the privilege of playing bass or guitar and providing backing vocals for local country band Tall Timbre. You can also find him regularly playing alongside one of Australia’s top country vocalists Nicki Gillis, featuring in many duets.
Bryen has worked as an announcer in country radio on Sydney's 2RRR88.5FM and at Festival 101.5FM during many Tamworth Country Music Festivals.
His musical interest was sparked only after settling down in Australia, having moved from his Louisiana home with wife Karen. An Australian citizen for a number of years now, Bryen’s musical influences are of bayou heritage with an Australian flavour.
His debut album TOO COLD AT HOME, features self-penned tracks HONKY-TONK SONG, BEER AND LIPSTICK, co-writes DEEP DOWN I’M SHALLOW, BABY ARE YOU RUNNIN’ and the beautiful duet AS LONG AS I LIVE with songbird Nicki Gillis. With the first single HONKY-TONK SONG receiving good radio support.
“‘Too Cold At Home’, a delight. Here is a toe tapping, ‘Swamp’, or ‘Bayou’ sound, with an Aussie influence. Bryen also illustrates his song writing ability by providing two completely “home grown” songs, and co-writing three more. If song titles like ‘Beer and Lipstick’, ‘Baby Are You Running?’, and ‘Honky Tonk Song’, lead you to thinking that this is a happy energy packed package, then you’ve got it in one, and the lovely duet with fast rising Nikki Gillis, ‘As Long As I Live’, puts the strawberry on top on the cake.” Burt Everett, Bundaberg Guardian
Bryen and the Bayou Boogie Boys shows are shoe-shufflin’, hip swingin’, toe tappin’, high energy straight-up country. Touches of Ricky Skaggs, Hank Williams, Billy Joe Shaver, Merle Haggard and Chris LeDoux – all rolled into one. Of course, if you'd rather have some nancy-boy, sissy, pseudo-country pop stuff you'll have to look elsewhere -¬ none of that around here!
“This is his first album …. and has written some memorable honky tonk songs which compliment originals from the likes of Johnny Paycheck, Roy Acuff, Wynn Stewart etc. … there are no concessions to the Australian country music self appointed hierarchy so that does okay by me.” Steve Reid, Yesterday & Today Records
ALBUM SYNOPSIS
TOO COLD AT HOME
BRYEN WILLEMS
Recorded at: Unit 4 Studios, Brookvale, NSW
Produced by: Gary Brown and Les Scott
Engineered by: Gary Brown, Unit 4 Studios
Mixed and Mastered by Herm Kovac at Ramrod Studios
TRACKLISTING
1. Lonesome, On’ry & Mean (4:11) written by Steve Young
2. 11 Months And 29 Days (3:11) written by Johnny Paycheck and Billy Sherrill
3. Too Cold At Home (4:15) written by Bobby Lemoyne Harden
4. Deep Down I’m Shallow (4:17) written by Bryen Willems and Tim Costello
5. As Long As I Live – Duet featuring Nicki Gillis (3:34) written by Roy Acuff
6. Highway Junkie (3:10) written by Chris Knight
7. Honky-Tonk Song (3:28) written by Bryen Willems
8. Another Day, Another Dollar (2:00) written by Wynn Stewart
9. Beer And Lipstick (2:39) written by Bryen Willems
10. Baby Are You Runnin’ (2:31) written by Bryen Willems and Les Scott
11. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (2:57) Traditional
MUSICIANS
‘The Brookvalettes’: backing vocals Tracks 8 & 11 (Maryanne Burton, Shazza Gillies and Karen Willems)
Gary Brown: Tomkins Lap Steel Tracks 1 & 4 / Resonator Guitar Track 2 / Dobro Tracks 5, 9 & 10
Maryanne Burton: Backing Vocals Track 10
Travis Collins: Tomkins & Gibson SG Lead Guitars & Tomkins Baritone Guitar Track 1
Nicki Gillis: Backing Vocals Track 3 & Lead Vocals Track 5
Tomi Graso: Pedal Steel Tracks 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 11
Mark Kirk: Lead Guitar Track 2
Jake Lardot: Lead Guitar Tracks 3, 6, 7, 8 & 9
Greg McGrath: Drums and Percussion all tracks
Mark Oats: Fiddle Tracks 3, 5, 7, 10 and 11
Les Scott: Acoustic Guitars all tracks / Dobro Bass & Resonator Guitar Track 5 / Lead Guitar Track 4 / Backing Vocals Tracks 2, 3, 4 & 10
Glenn Skarrett: Mandolin Tracks 5 & 10
Allan Tomkins: Tomkins Bass Guitar all Tracks (except Track 5)
Bryen Willems: Lead Vocals & Backing Vocals Track 6
www.bryenwillems.com
www.myspace.com/bryenwillemsmusic
For interview and further details:
RUM Entertainment Ph/fax 02 4285 1461 (m) 0439 730 460
rum@rumentertainment.com www.rumentertainment.com
Bookings Phone:
(m) 0413 153 884
Updated March 2007
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