BIO:
Los Angeles has its fair share of musicians living in the Hollywood Hills, but none of them are quite like Laura Bryna.
“I like to call my home the ‘pink palace,’” the singer says regarding her new abode above the fabled Sunset Strip.
The small town girl from Mount Airy, Maryland, has set her sights on L.A. after several successful years spent in Nashville, where she established herself as one of music city’s most exciting new voices.
“I still go back to Nashville and I love it there…it’s a really great place to raise a family….”
In 2011 Bryna moved to the city of Angels (along with her three birds: Tyler, a Congo African Grey, Harmony, a Senegal Parrot, and Snuggles, a Lesser Sulfur Crested Cockatoo) and is ready to bring that excitement to Southern California and beyond in 2012 via cross-genre offerings that will please not only her die-hard country fans, but rock and pop lovers as well.
Bryna, who wowed critics and fans alike in 2008 with her acclaimed debut set, Trying To Be Me, has been busy recording with name producer, Rob Boldt (Fergie, Paul Abdul, J.C. Chasez & N’SYNC) in Hollywood, drawing on diverse influences to produce what some have dubbed the “new southern rock.”
“The new record is a combination of a lot of sounds,” she says, noting that her CD collection runs the gamut from Snoop Dogg to Elvis.
“I love listening to all different kinds of things,” she adds, stressing that the classics still have her heart, however.
“Elvis did it his way and I’ve always been someone who would rather fail at being myself than being something that I’m not.”
That philosophy and the art of being real has served Bryna well over the past few years, as she secured opening slots of tours from some of country music’s biggest names such as Clint Black, Tim McGraw, Emmylou Harris, Sugarland and Taylor Swift, to name a few.
In 2008, the Air National Guard (ANG), which helps the country in times of crisis, named Bryna the voice for a nationwide advertising campaign. As part of the initiative, Bryna co-wrote and performed “Hometown Heroes,” a song that resonated with fans across the world, especially with members of the armed forces stationed everywhere from Iraq to the Philippines.
“These men and women are so brave and when they thank me I feel beyond honored,” she says.
Whether it’s through songs like ‘Hometown Heroes’ or ‘Make A Wish’ for the foundation’s namesake, or helping the kids in the National Guard Youth Foundation, it’s all about giving back.
“I’m just a singer with a dream—these men and women allow me to live that dream.”
Bryna’s songs have generated so much interest over the past few years; in fact, they earned her national television exposure via a turn on Fox News personality Sean Hannity’s highly-rated television show, which she appeared on in 2010 for a segment.
“My Dad always told me don’t talk about politics, abortion or religion,” Bryna laughs, noting there were “four topics and we only got to two of them” on Hannity’s ‘Great American Panel,’ which featured much spirited debate.
But the beauty with a curious combination of media savvy, humor and poise atypical of many country stars (she also speaks some French, is keen of wearing Roberto Cavalli and Claudio Milano) plans to tackle a lot more than guest spots on Fox in 2012: acting auditions are now a part of her life, as is performing songs for several sporting organizations such as the NFL, MBL and has recently joined forces with Muay Thai boxing to perform the national anthem at major international competitions.
“It’s growing so fast,” she said of Muay Thai, which, like Bryna, is gaining fans at an exponential clip, and is quickly becoming the next UFC. It’s all part of Bryna’s fascinating and expanding universe beyond the predictable and often insular world of Nashville’s country scene -- and her die-hard supporters are along for the ride.
“My fans have been there for me through every transition I’ve made,” she said. “They are part of my life.”
In 2012, Bryna will likely have to make more room in her life for a fresh influx of fans from around the world, thanks to a new sound that builds upon an already established, exciting and real new country voice brimming with honesty, passion and personality in spades.
CONTACT:
JOHN HAMMOND
ROBYN MITCHELL
ANNE NEWELL
LINKS:
MYSPACE
TOUR/PRESS: