Name: Brandon Jarod Rice | Current City: Virginia Beach VA | Rock/Alternative/Indie Artist

Brandon Jarod Rice was born to working class parents Randy and Patricia Rice on March 16, 1986 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A quiet, yet inquisitive child, Brandon often entertained himself with comic books, drawing and writing imaginative short stories. Though he did not come from a musical family, Brandon's father was an avid listener of the band Parliament Funkadelic which would become the first music that Brandon remembers hearing. Seeing him constantly play air guitar on a baseball bat, Brandon's mother Patricia built him his first guitar from a cereal box, a napkin roll and rubber bands. Unable to mimic the music he heard from the radio, Brandon soon began to play the trumpet and sing in his school choir.

Seeing the growing poverty and crime in the inner city of MIlwaukee, Brandon's father moved the family to the melting pot of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The sudden moved effected Brandon in such a way that he discontinued singing and playing trumpet for years. It wasn't until high school that Brandon found his muse again in writing poetry and participation in cafeteria freestyles. He received his first real guitar on his 19th Christmas. A self-taught musician, Brandon practice playing guitar sometimes 10 to 12 hours a day trying to imitate the music that he heard from his radio.

Over the next 4 years Brandon would play in over 15 bands ranging from Soul, R&B, Hip Hop, Rock, Gospel to Blues trying to find his way though the diverse music scene of Hampton Roads. During this time, he would play alongside or open up for the likes of Jasmine Sullivan, Hezekiah, Jaguar Wright, The Clipse, The Kool Kids even touring in Amsterdam, New York and North Carolina. In a relatively short amount of time, becoming one of the most talented and in demand guitarists in the area drawing comparisons to John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix as well as Eric Clapton.

It wasn't until 2010 that Brandon decided since he couldn't get a record deal, he would create his own label and publishing company playing the music that he wanted the play instead of the simply what he was told to play. With the release of his debut EP entitled "The Crush," Brandon has established himself as an artist with a fresh sound forged from years of absorbing a wide range of musical influence and experiences.

"Every 10 years music has to go somewhere. 50 years from now I want people to look back on the years 2010 to 2020 and say I was among the pioneers pushing music to where it was supposed to go."-Brandon Jarod

Contact info:
bjarod86@gmail.com
757-309-2346

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