Before Zach Bryan was the subject of negative X posts and tabloid tales, he was just a guy from Oklahoma who posted his music on YouTube. Frankly, one could actually argue that Bryan’s negative public reception is a testament to his success. After all, people are thinking about him and listening to him. With all that in mind, it’s very heartwarming to hear the story behind Bryan’s debut album, DeAnn.
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Released in 2019, Bryan’s debut album is a culmination of all the songs he had previously released during his YouTube days. At the time of its recording, Bryan was simply flirting with the idea of becoming a professional musician. So he didn’t have the money for a recording studio nor the care to try and procure one. Thus, Bryan and some friends rented out an Airbnb instead.
Zach Bryan and The Airbnb Where It All Started
In an interview with Stony Jammer, Zach Bryan told the tale of his debut album and the enormous career it would entail. With his buddy and producer, Alba, Bryan recalls Alba asking him, “Do you believe in the songs you’ve written?” Clearly, Bryan did, as the two of them rented the Airbnb, got a few old mattresses for sound purposes, and got to recording.
Regarding the session and the album, Bryan stated, “To be honest, we thought it was going to be a huge flop.” Well, it wasn’t because upon its initial release on Spotify the album charted, and as of today, it has procured nearly 900 million streams in counting. Besides this album being Bryan’s hard launch into the music business, it was also a testament to his mother who passed away in 2016.
About her spiritual presence on the album, Bryan stated, “[“God Speed”] means so much to me man, cause that’s how I feel, if I am down in my deepest poor, that’s just how I feel.” He continued, “I’ve been to church with my mom and things like that, I’ve been to Africa and sent postcards from places you couldn’t even believe.” A younger Zach Bryan concluded his interview by saying, “I got so many more songs that I think the world would like to hear.”
Since that interview, Bryan has become one of the biggest names in the music business, has scored three No. 1 hits, and won a Grammy. Though, none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for his friend Alba, that Airbnb, and Zach Bryan’s willingness to chase a dream he wasn’t even hellbent on chasing.
Photo by Keith Griner/Getty Images
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