We were lucky to catch up with Brian Revels recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

The problems I’ve been grappling as an artist stem from the same ones that everyone has had in recent years—Covid and capitalism. Like many musicians, I was in the service industry for years, everything from Cracker Barrel to Eddie’s Attic. And while I always enjoyed it, I struggled to make ends meet for years and years.

A few years back I took on a metric ton of student debt and threw a hail marry toward a career in advertising. And it’s paid off, literally and figuratively. It took me out of Atlanta—the first time I had ever lived outside of Georgia—to Anchorage, Alaska and to my current home in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village. And since Covid has reigned over the majority of those years, I didn’t feel like I was falling behind. However, now that the world has opened back up I find myself in a(nother) brand new city, little to no music industry connections to speak of and starving for creative outlets. The black mirror of TikTok has been somewhat of a reprieve (I’m @sorevelsthus, by the way ;).

For better or worse, I’m a performer. A ham, y’all. Nothing satisfies my soul like stealing a stage, sharing my songs with room of attentive people. A close second is playing someone else’s songs to a bar full of inattentive people. Either one is a hoot and a half for me. That first one might even be two whole hoots. I played constantly when I lived in Atlanta. Some years, more that 200 shows. And it’s because I spent a decade there, voraciously inhaling the scene and becoming intimate with it’s venues and artists. I’m trying to give myself the grace of these contrasting contexts, but as of today, I’ve played one show (in Anchorage) since Spring of 2020. And friends, I am losing my everloving mind.

If y’all know anyone in Chicago that might want to host a songwriter, please let me know.

Brian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Brian Revels, and I’m a songwriter from Atlanta, by way of Winder, Georgia. For about 5 of the 10 years I lived in Atlanta, I ran around with a folk trio called City Mouse.

Today, my project is called Brian Revels & the Heat Lightning and we’ve got an album (that I’m so damned proud of) called Jasper County Blues—hear it wherever you stream your music.

Immersive Atlanta called it “a collection of stories set between the opening of saloon doors and the desperation of last call” and said “[Revels] sings in a voice that recalls the reckless fire-in-the-gut energy of pre-sobriety Jason Isbell.” Whew, buddy. High praise to a boy that grew up 15 minutes from Athens Georgia sneaking into Drive-by Truckers shows before I was legally old enough to attend.

I’ve since left Atlanta. First, to Anchorage, Alaska and now I’m in Chicago. I’ve got some new singles in the works, so if this sorta songwriting is your cup of coffee, please take a sec to find Brian Revels & the Heat Lightning on Spotify or wherever, smash that follow, and you’ll be one of the first in the know. And I’ll have less to talk to my therapist about.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Anytime you can give money directly to an artist for their art, you’re doing one of the most validating and supportive things possible. With the ubiquity of free music streaming today, it takes a little more effort to do that. Anytime you can go to a show, subscribe to a patreon, or visit a bandcamp page (brianrevels.bandcamp.com, for example) and buy any music or merch directly from the artist, the support is amplified tenfold.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I don’t know if it’s “unlearning” per say, but being an artist in a time where the financial security for such an undertaking is so fickle and fleeting, it’s hard to not let your self-worth get wrapped up in that. The art feels like the most true and meaningful thing you can give to the world, but where the Almighty Dollar reigns, it’s hard to feel the “value” that you provide. It takes effort to maintain a healthy relationship with your art in this context.

Contact Info:

• Website: brianrevelsmusic.com
• Instagram: @sorevelsthus
• Facebook: facebook.com/brianrevelsmusic
• Twitter: @sorevelsthus
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqrfTdgrFzK_wBC06C997gg
• Other: TikTok handle is @sorevelsthus

Image Credits
1st photo by Em Pearson Photos // @empear_photos on IG Additional photos by Richard Scott Photos // https://www.richardandrewscott.com/general