At 26, Jacob Bryant has lived through more than men twice his age. Hidden behind his blue eyes and charming smile lies a past of addiction, death, and divorce that have fueled his songwriting and pushed him to track some of his most popular biographical anthems including “Save My Soul,” “This Side of Sober,” “Too Late to Turn Around,” “Country Went to Hell,” and “Up In Flames.” The Jasper, Ga., native performs with the vigor of a seasoned road dog and delivers a show that combines the storytelling of country music with the passion of rock. “It’s Country Music done my way,” says Bryant. His new EP Up In Smoke debuted at #10 on ITunes Country Chart and his devout fan base packed Electric Cowboy in Kennesaw, Ga. to hear the singer rip through his standards and introduce the new material they had already memorized and were singing right along. It’s hard to imagine the up-and-comer with such rich vocals once failed middle school chorus being he was too shy to sin... g in front of people. Bryant grew up in the mountains of north Georgia where he started on the indigenous stylings of his family’s Bluegrass band. “I was 8 when I first started playing guitar, “he explains. “I listened to IIIrd Tyme Out Live at The Mac over and over again while strumming my Martin. I loved Flat Lonesome and Mountain Heart. I’ve even written with their lead singer Josh Shilling,” boasts Bryant as he flashes a grin that would melt your heart. As he got older, Jacob started playing in church where he served as leader of the youth group. The singer/songwriter continued to hone his craft and took his show on the road after graduating from high school, but It was New Year’s Day 2010 when his life changed forever. “Mom had taken a nap and didn’t wake up. I was coming home from a trip to Nashville. I received the call and my whole world fell apart.” Bryant began a downhill spiral; passing out many nights, in the throes of alcohol and cocaineaddiction. During that vulnerable time, Jacob also fell in love and married one of the bartenders at a club he played. “I had trouble dealing with my mother’s death, and it took me looking in the mirror and realizing I wasn’t happy with the person looking back at me to turn things around. I was able, with help, to completely quit drinking for a long time and to get control of my life. My mother would have wanted me to continue on with my music; it was her dream. I kind of made her dream my dream,” shares Bryant. He turned to songwriting to process his grief and wrote “Sometimes I Pray” as tribute to his mother and later tracked a song that depicted his battle with demons in “This Side Of Sober.” “I love playing that song live. The fans always sing it back to me. It’s the one that changed my life,” says Bryant. He continues to write on his own and with pals; penning a tune with fellow country newcomer Luke Combs called “Out There.” Fresh out of a divorce, Jacob Bryant is stronger than ever and ready to bring his music to new audiences as he continues to tour across the country. Plans are in place to film a full production video for “A Women’s Touch;” a featured track off the new EP. Expect great things from this young talent.
