Having a famous brother like Lee, it’s hard for some folks to imagine that Lewis Brice had to carve out his own niche in Nashville after he moved there in 2006. But the singer and songwriter has done just that and he explained how his first day in Music City went with his sibling in an interview last year.
“I was about to get out of my truck when Lee came walking outside and closed the door back on me and said, ‘Hold on. I’m glad you’re here. I’m not gonna do anything for you. I’ll help you out any way I can, but if you’re doing something in this town, you’re going to have to do it on your own legs. You’re gonna have to make your own name.’ And I looked at him and I said, ‘Thank you,'” Brice explained.
Since then Lewis Brice has been making his own name in music. He first captured attention with “Ordinary Girl” in 2010. The song, which was co-written with Dallas Rogers, marked his first appearance on the Mediabase and iTunes Country charts. Later that same year he was a contestant on CMT’s Can You Duet with his then-collaborator David Oakleaf, where they made it to the top eight. He then headed out on his own with his band The Escorts.
Brice has had the chance to work with his brother and showcase his own talents, including playing the lead role in the music video for Lee Brice‘s “I Drive Your Truck.” The video has been viewed nearly 30 million times and was the 2014 ACM Song of the Year.
He also got to work with his brother again, but this time it was when they were producing his self-titled debut EP. The project was released by Pump House last year and quickly saw him return to the Top 15 of the iTunes Country chart. Brice had a hand in writing all of the tracks on Lewis Brice, including “Best Ex Lover,” which reached the Top 40 of MusicRow’s Country Breakout radio chart. The playful song is an ode to an old flame with a hint of banjo that Brice laughingly calls “the radio-friendly version of an R-rated story.”
Songs from the debut have been featured on SiriusXM The Highway, CMT Music, and Spotify’s New Boots & Wild Country playlists. The acclaim didn’t stop there for the new music as Brice was also named Rolling Stone Country’s “New Country Artists You Need to Know” and Billboard’s “Country Artists to Watch in 2018.”
Brice has said that more new music is to come in 2018, and he’ll keep carving out his own niche as it does.
Lewis Brice will open the show for Gary Allan at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron on Thursday, April 12 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $35-$99 and available at Ticketmaster.com, E.J. Thomas Hall Box Office and by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
