If you like James Taylor and John Prine, you'll love Ted Brown.
New Zealand-born singer, songwriter and guitar player Ted Brown was on the rise to musical stardom before a drug habit sidelined him for 7 years. Now sober for over a decade, Brown is sharing his journey with his second album, An Unwide Road, an elegantly spare and tenderly introspective record.
“The meaning of the title is twofold. On one hand, it references how little country roads take you to the most awe-inspiring places,” Brown says. “But it also refers to my life. I spent years doing exactly what I wanted and I hurt myself and other people. I have this great life now, but the road is much narrower—I don’t get to do what I please—but the outcome is so much better.”
His newest music video from the album is for the single "Love Is." It's a tender yet compelling portrayal of relationships both short and enduring that goes well with the pastoral folk sound of the song.
Brown is the recipient of a NZ music award for “Most Promising Male Vocalist” and has contributed to recordings by many artists both in NZ and in his adopted home of Los Angeles, California. He’s earned cult credibility through his Kiwi band The Tunellers; that band released an EP, a video, garnered airplay, and was on the periphery of the indie scene centered around the iconic Flying Nun Records label.
Brown recorded the album at Roundhead studios in Auckland, New Zealand with producer Wayne Bell. The refined simplicity of the production aesthetic aptly reflects the intimacy and authenticity of this body of work. It was tracked studio live with minimal overdubs and artfully placed mics to vibrantly capture Brown’s stirring studio performances. Although the core is Brown singing and playing guitar, each track is delicately embellished with contributions from some old friends.
“These songs are reflective of waking up from being spiritually asleep,” Brown says thoughtfully. “When I play these songs live, they’re emotionally charged for me, and that’s what makes them genuine."