Singer/Songwriter Brenn Hill doesn’t just sing about the American West, he reveals its heart to anyone who will take the time to listen. His most recent release, “Equine,” (2010) clearly defines what might be his most profound work to date, as well as a mirror of his growth as an artist over the last ten years. Its broad theme of horses, the cowboy’s working partner, is but a pathway into and through his own personal journey. No longer just the observer or narrator of our Western story, but its strongest interpreter, life’s trials and tribulations are also his raw material. Faith, trust and love are his guide.

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        If this website visit is familiar territory to the reader, then you need no further introduction. You know the man. But Brenn Hill, the recording artist, is no longer the youthful rising star who caught the attention of the Western music world when he broke out at 20. At 34, time and experience have honed a finer voice and a keener eye. In addition, the struggle for the health and safety of his young son Briggs has added a new edge to his music, a sharper sword with which to face the battle. Many of Brenn’s fans know about Briggs’ fight with spinal and brain stem cancer. It’s been all-consuming for the family and although Briggs is finally home and out of imminent danger, a long and difficult road still lies ahead. Brenn’s ongoing commitment to his music throughout the ordeal has been one way to find meaning in the battle.

        “Overall, I want a listener to know that my music isn’t about me,” explains Hill. “It’s how I make my living and not a vehicle for stardom. My goal is to present a valid story about people, places, and events that are song-worthy. If I can challenge someone’s perspective, or offer a new one on a classic theme or issue, I’ve achieved my goal. I feel a deep sense of purpose with my music and am honored to have the opportunity that I have. I deeply appreciate my listeners. The greatest compliments I receive come directly from those that listen to my music. When a song touches them so profoundly that they tell me, “that song changed my life,” or, “that song got me through a hard time,” or, “that song’s about me,” then I know I got it right. No amount of money or recognition could mean more than that.”

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        If you’re a newcomer to the world of Brenn Hill, celebrate the introduction. You’ll be glad you did. Born into a 6th generation of a family anchored to the West and raised in Utah, Brenn and his music revisit the many stories that come from the land with a fresh, contemporary and personal twist. Home for the Hill’s is Hooper, a rural community in Northern Utah where Brenn resides with his wife, three children and a cavvy of horses.
        
        Like other award-winning recording artists, Brenn is committed to his music and the making of every album is a milestone. For each and every CD release in his fast-moving career, the title list is a key to a wealth of personal experiences and images. The making of “Equine,” rich with story and the added musical accompaniment of some of the best back-up players in Nashville, was that kind of synthesis. In his own words:

        “In about 2005, I felt somewhat burned-out as an artist. My extensive travels took me far and away from my young family for long periods of time and I felt detached from the life that inspired me to write in the first place. So I restructured in an effort to refocus on my songwriting. About the same time, I acquired a buckskin mare from my cousin that was part of a bloodline that he and my uncle perpetuated for about two decades. My Uncle Ray was killed in ’96 and this mare was one of the last of that bloodline. She was hard-headed and impatient but loved to chase cows. She helped me realize again my love of horses, land, and people. About half of the songs from Equine came during this time.”

        “Several years later, my son Briggs, who has been like my shadow since birth, was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer. As he clung to life during treatment, I turned again to my notepad and guitar for solace and comfort. I learned that I could write from the depths of my soul. Another half of Equine came along. When I think back on it, the unique partnership that’s created by way of the relationship with a horse is what moved me the most. Standing in a pasture, horses are vulnerable, just as I am. But united with a good horse, I can get to far-flung places I wouldn’t otherwise see. And sitting tall in the saddle, descending down an Aspen-covered draw, together, we become larger than life. At the flanks of a bunch of slow-moving cows, it takes the nudge of a spur and a “Hoooraw” to get a good cow horse to pin its ears back and bare its teeth. We both feel invincible.”

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        Staying invincible is the underlying message of “Equine,” as well as several other albums that have come before. “Call You Cowboy,” “Endangered” and “What A Man’s Got to Do” come to mind. Throughout them all, Brenn’s poetic lyrics revolve around recurring themes of hope, change, understanding and acceptance. As a son, husband and a father, he’s no stranger to life’s most meaningful rites and passages, and as a cowboy and horse rancher, albeit part-time, he knows what it takes to get the job done.

        “Time in the saddle is my payoff for the hard miles on the road, the gut-full of showbiz, and the time away from loved ones,” says Brenn. “Horses bring me purpose in life. They provide a foundation and theme for my music and are an endless fountain of inspiration. In a way, horses write a lot of my songs, especially since they are an integral part of my connection to the land. They reveal my character. They’re constant teachers with endless patience and capacity, and likewise, provide an endless bank of inspiration that I can draw from.

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        Brenn Hill doesn’t stand alone. He and his music are part of a growing movement of musicians dedicated to the evolving West. Among them are traditional balladeers, outlaw musicians, cowboy crooners, crossover Country-Western artists, and others. But with this, his 5th album, it’s clear that a distinct style has been forged, one that’s uniquely his own. A confident tenor with a voice deepened by compassion, uplifted with joy and sometimes as intense as a twister on the Oklahoma plain, Brenn sings to and about all of us -- ranch, rural, or urban cowboys and cowgirls, and about all the ways in which the West is ours. He’s both nostalgic and piercingly truthful about today’s reality. In many ways, Brenn is the musical bridge from the cowboy of yesterday to the cowboy of tomorrow. A member of a generation that’s going to have to fight to hold onto a challenged way of life due to limited water, rising costs, environmental pressure and changing consumption habits, he knows that ranching is stewardship, a role that implies an uncompromising bond between humankind and the land.

        “I feel most inspired by artists that offer a fresh perspective on the core principles of the Western Lifestyle,” explains Brenn. “ The principles and values are constant, thus, the cowboy adapts to his changing environment and thrives without changing his principles and values. The desire to pay homage via music to the sacred land and the genuine folks that steward it is a driving force behind this genre. It takes real conviction to survive the unique set of challenges presented by the harsh political and social environment and there’s no end in sight to the issues and content that can be written about. I feel a sense of duty as an artist to honor the past. Nostalgia is how I connect to the past and present it authentically through my work.”

        “Other common themes just make for good music,” he continues. “Romance, Rodeo, Ranching, Friendship, Horses -- they’re all essential subjects that must be covered on every recording. The challenge is to present each theme in a fresh and inspiring way. Finally, the foremost inspiration for my songs is people. My friends, my foes, my heroes-they are all sources of great inspiration for writing. I am fortunate to be a part of a genre and lifestyle that is people-oriented. I am able to call my fans my friends and vice-versa. They’re full of rich life experiences and character that inspires me to dig deeper and deeper as a songwriter.”

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        Brenn Hill breaks away from traditional cowboy music, (typically presented as a solo artist with guitar or other stringed instrument,) by recording with a full complement of musicians. About this he has no shame. In fact, his multi-layered sound is proof that there was room for this partnership.

        “In the mid-90’s I lived for a spell in Nashville and wrote with published songwriters that were “hit-oriented” writers,” he said. “I learned that there was a formula for good songwriting and I decided then that the unwritten rules applied even if you weren’t necessarily trying to write hit songs for the radio. While I break these rules often, I still believe there is merit in writing in a classic and structured form.”
        
        “The session musicians who play on my records are masters at uniting form and content. They are willing to listen and are dedicated to helping me find my sound and voice. Many of them are refined on multiple instruments so if, for instance, I hear accordion or cello on a particular track, we can try it and see if it works. Some of them are even songwriters, so they are sensitive to my approach. Finally, since many of them have been at it for decades, they’re accurate and fast. They trust their instincts and know that some of the best licks come from the first interpretation of the song in its raw form which is my guitar and vocal demo.”

        For those of us who’ve known his previous work and ridden the distance, we can gladly push “replay” at the level of accomplishment in “Equine.” The brilliance of sound engineering, musical creativity, and solid production hint at another of Brenn’s admirable strengths --composition and orchestration. “Equine” sets a new standard.

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        Brenn Hill will undoubtedly be in the Western music picture for a long time to come, refining the ever-changing view of our national hero, the cowboy. His music continues to evolve. The future is often the most important time for a musical artist. Not that yesterday doesn’t provide him or her with needed memories, glimmering moments and unforgettable people that might be immortalized in song, but tomorrow holds promise, the unexpected, new beginnings or much needed resolution, and the possibility of change.

        “Artistically, I’m more at ease now than I have ever been,” confirms Brenn. “As a young artist, I often felt caught between my own aspirations and the suggestive guidance of my mentors, critics, and fans. Some wanted me to be a “country” artist. Others wanted me to be a “cowboy” artist. Some wanted me to become a folk-singer. And the sheer need to make-a-living dictated the rest. In writing my last album, “What A Man’s Got To Do” and now, “Equine,” I realized that I am most satisfied when my art pleases me. There will always be critics and my peers and mentors may not always agree with my approach. But the torment of stifling creativity hurts far more than criticism. I write because I love to write and hope the best is yet to come.