Hi!

I’m so honored that you’ve made your way here. As we enter into a relationship of some sort, I want you to know a couple things. 

In early college, I worked as a camp counselor just outside of Yosemite National Park. Strangers became my dearest friends in just weeks, and we made it a frequent habit to set out on nearby trails past dark. Walking steadily for hours with just the light of the moon, we’d settle into a rhythm maintained by the sound of our footsteps and an occasional river. We’d lie down, far from the world but closer to it than ever. I can’t help but take a huge breath as I look up at the Milky Way. In this moment I feel alive, and more aware of how precious that is. 

I strive to make songs that sound like how those nights feel.

We’d return from those days and nights to a new set of kids, who were consistent reminders that the feeling of awe should never fade in us. 

Experiencing wonder and awe is my priority. I can only be an effective storyteller if I have captivating stories to tell. The sentiments I sing about are empty if I’m not living them. With that, I’m sorry in advance if I disappear for chunks of time; know that I am filling up pages with sentiments and stories that I’ll share with you later.

I believe in music’s universal ability to make us all feel our most human. The more human we feel, the more gratitude we’ll have for the short time we’ve all got together.

I believe in prioritizing people and the planet.

I promise to use music to make more tangible the urgency of equality, environmentalism, mental health awareness, and social justice. 

I trust you to hold me to these priorities and demand music that reflects them.

I hope that my songs compel you to spend more nights under the stars. 

I hope my music is a worthy soundtrack to your drives through the mountains, your days home alone, your celebrations, and your times of sadness.

I hope that my songs enhance your time here, both passively and directly. 

I hope they resonate with you, but also challenge you and spur questions and growth.

I pray that my songs are of great use to you.

Bryan John Appleby is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Seattle. His folk-centric body of work draws elements from mid-century pop, wall-of-sound, psychodelia, tropicália, and classic cinema.  

Appleby’s most recent effort, Underwater Easy Breathing (Plume Records) exemplifies a distinct production palette and fantastical tendencies. Lush, coastal, synth-laced; the album is a natural next step in his wandering, often densely layered folk repertoire. Previous works include The Narrow Valley (2015), a dense, maximalist concept album drenched in dreamy, orchestral layers and experimental sounds, and Fire on the Vine (2011), a darker collection with more conventional folk structures and instrumentation. 

Since moving to the Pacific Northwest from the Central Coast, he’s toured with Deep Sea Diver, The Head and the Heart, and Tomo Nakayama, and shared stages with Damien Jurado, Maita, Y La Bamba, Shaina Shepherd, Dean Johnson, Sera Cahoone, Pure Bathing Culture, and many others. He enjoys guest membership in several West Coast bands including Gary V, Tomten, Fine Arts, Vinta, and K Skelton.