Cory Branan is your artist of the week.

Cory Branan is an American singer-songwriter who was born in Southaven, Mississippi. In his early 20’s he began to explore the music of John Prine; a move which urged him to pick up a guitar and start writing songs. In 2000, the Memphis chapter of NARAS awarded Branan with the Phillips Award for Newcomer of the Year . Two years later, Branan made his label debut with Memphis’s Madjack Records.

Rolling Stone said about his songwriting, “There’s a new breed of singer-songwriter… Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst, and now Cory Branan”. This prompted Billboard to write, “He was recently featured in Rolling Stone’s HotList, but don’t hold that against him… songwriting prodigy gives John Prine a run for his money”. In 2003 he appeared on both The Late Show with David Letterman and Last Call with Carson Daly. In March 2006, after almost four years, Branan released his second album 12 Songs, again on Madjack Records. Despite the time to taken to release his second album, Blender noted that “12 Songs justifies the sabbatical”.

Branan frequently plays shows across the U.S.. He usually performs as a solo act, but he occasionally plays with a backing band of friends he’s touring with, such as Lucero, Thrift Store Cowboys or New London’s Quiet Life. You can check out his song, “Tall Green Grass” by clicking on the icon below.

Mr. McClung