Jay Brannan: In Living Cover

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This guy is really good, a seemingly surprised patron suddenly blurts out behind me in the VIP section at the Roxy. He's talking about Jan Brannan and he's clearly a new convert. Better late than never - but good is quite the understatement. It's easy to have preconceptions about a boy and his guitar, until that boy starts strumming, opens his mouth and blows the entire room away.

It's not easy for a single guy and his acoustic guitar to control a crowd, but Jay does so impressively.

I met up with the singer-songwriter before the show, where we talk about something and stuff ...and why he hates dogs.

I do everything myself, he tells me

Touring can be tough when you're a one-man show.

They're dirty, he smirks playfully. Clearly not a fan of stupid sloppy dogs, he does admit pics of my pal's pooch are cute, but they're not for him. He's a cat guy, which is understandable. Some folks are just cat people! It's a fact of life and we move on.

Tour dates listed at http://jaybrannan.com

In Living Cover -- available July 7!! 2 original songs + 7 covers available digitally through iTunes & other online retailers or pre-order for $10 at http://jaybrannanstore.com

Sensitive, humble and only slightly jaded, Jay Brannan makes music on his own terms

As I dial Jay Brannan's number, the singer-songwriter, actor, and YouTube celebrity has, unbeknownst to me, momentarily slipped into the bathroom a few thousand miles away in his Dallas hotel room to freshen up before our chat.

My impeccable timing strikes again! Just when I think I've blown it and missed the interview opportunity - Jay quickly sends a text to alert me that he's available, but to call his hotel again because reception sucks. I understand his situation, as I have to conduct my portion of the interview from outside my West Hollywood apartment due to lousy cell service. Technology is a fickle lover.

When I call back, we immediately fall into an easy, relaxed conversation. I find him to be totally fun, witty, self-depreciative and most notably, humble. No diva star attitude. Nada in the ego department and no apparent sense of entitlement. In fact, I think he underestimates his own popularity.

I tell him so, which elicits a common reaction during our talk: heartfelt laughter.

He does the same when I tell him he's working it from every angle to make his mark on the music scene.

A lot of people have someone behind them, someone rich, he tells me. Someone out there has to give you a leg up...I've had people do that, but it's hasn't been like the president of the united states...kind of like underground, independent support.

Without the big money machine, There's definitely nothing overnight about anything that I've been trying to do.

It only takes 10 years to become an overnight sensation, I say.

Again, laughter, Well, I'm about at the 10 year mark.

Though slightly jaded after being kicked around by the industry, he's no more fed-up than the next working artist.

It's really, really impossible to 'sort of' make money at it. It's frustrating, he says.

I suggest that many fail simply because they stop trying.

I can't blame them. I've tried to stop, like a good ten times. But I keep getting back in it because I don't know what else to do with myself...If you can come up with anything else, you should totally do it, he adds with a laugh.

Jay has just finished a string of performances across the U.S. and he's heading to Los Angeles in the upcoming week. The most I've ever done before this is a four show run, he says of the tour. This run includes Ten days here, and a UK tour in August that's seven or eight dates.

I'm kind of figuring it all out, he notes. What I've been doing has been on the internet. I've gone to a lot of cool places, but it's kind of been one-off shows for me. It's new. I really like playing the shows. I like writing the songs and playing them for people, he says passionately. That's the meat of it and that's what I like doing. It's cool that I have a chance to do that - and it's amazing that people actually show up in these cities that I've never even been to.

Sometimes they know the songs by name and sing along, that's just a crazy feeling. It's hard to believe.

Strong, impassioned, creative and working hard for it honey - that's What's Hot!