Brian Wheat

Brian Wheat, Minneapolis, MN songwriter, is Looking Alive again. On the verge of a fourth album release, the Buffalo, NY native has taken his time developing a unique blend of Canadiana and Southwest dark film score folk that draws comparisons to timeless greats like Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and Cake, as well as contemporaries such as Calexico and M.Ward. Wheat's performances are more lively, honed, and engaging than ever.

Brian’s breezy, soulful melodies, poignant lyrics, and tasty lead guitar playing are fueled by being raised on 50's pop, classic rock and country that played as the soundtrack for a thousand family road trips. Since 2005 he has performed his unique brand of porch swing rock everywhere from Fijian villages and Australian hostels to East coast and Midwest club tours and festivals, giving Wheat's songs an undeniable worldly fortitude. His songwriting patently explores human connect and disconnect, stories of unbounded love, passion similar to that of a Tom Robbins protagonist, and the pain of forever searching for it. All of which sentiments percolate effortlessly through his smooth, dynamic, and evocative voice.

Wheat’s 2007 CD, Where You Have Been, was a collection of rootsy songs exploring themes of love and loss that were written and recorded upon his return from a brief residency in Spain. The album received critical acclaim in Wheat’s hometown of Buffalo, NY, earning Top 10 End of the Year status at NPR-affiliate WBFO as well as Wheat being named Best Solo Artist by Buffalo Spree magazine that year. For his sophomore release, Looking Alive (2011), Wheat looked beyond the rural themes and acoustic nature of his debut to capture the energy of his transition to urban living. The album has a sultry morning vibe and foreshadows Brian’s current electrified incarnation of himself.

After transplanting to Minneapolis, MN Wheat began performing solo throughout the Midwest and added old Western NY friends Jerritt Wahrendorf (drums) and Blake Propst (Bass) to his touring crew. Currently, they are building a 4th album that will no doubt be a lively musical reflection of Wheat’s journey through new territory and personal landscapes. Brian Wheat's work has garnered him a diverse and expansive fan base as well as a history of working with some of today’s most exciting national and international artists, including Band of Horses (Sub Pop), Frontier Ruckus (Ramseur Records), Oakley Hall (Merge), Langhorne Slim, (David Dondero (Team Love), William Elliot Whitmore (Anti), Freedy Johnston (BarNone), Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon), and more.