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Artist
Bryan Cates
12+ albums
under 100 listenersunder 2000 listenersTennesseeNashvilledaytrotter
about
(From Daytrotter session:) Bryan Cates is really supposed to be one of those songwriters that we never heard about. He has all the makings of that hermitic genius who chooses never to show what he can do with the general public. Even with buddies, he's secretive and selective in what he exposes to them, keeping most of the music that he's working on close to the vest, so close it's like another layer of chest hair. The North Carolina native is supposed to be one of those guys who doesn't even register a footnote when it comes to any hipster league, but instead toils and burns over his art, meticulously massaging and perfecting it, only to leave it behind for an unveiling after he's kicked the bucket. It could be harsh and misguided to peg a guy who accepted a personal invitation from Band of Horses lead singer Ben Bridwell to open a short run of dates this summer as someone destined to cult status at best. Historically speaking though, a guy like Cates is that hidden gem just doing his thing and taking it nowhere. The interesting part of this story is that he has friends who believe his music is too good to not allow it to get out here and into the world. They prod him and they personally take it upon themselves to make sure that it finds ears. My discovery of his music all happened last January, during a trip to Nashville to do some taping at John Prine's studio in an old meat-packing facility on the banks of the Cumberland River. We stayed with our friends Skip and Timshel
