Brandon Davis is gearing up to release his brand new song, “More Than A Flag,” on July 2.
Davis, the latest artist to dive into all that TikTok has to offer, has been given a second chance at life and he is taking full advantage of it.
After a terrifying accident in 2019 that almost cost Davis his life, he decided he had to make a change to show both himself and his four children that achieving your dreams is possible. His wife ended up convincing Davis to allow her to post a video of him singing on TikTok one day and from that moment on, he had a whole new career path to start following.
“Before I knew it, she had TikTok and Instagram accounts full of people asking to hear my original music and so my music career began,” Davis told Music Mayhem.
“Ice Cold” and “Step by Step” are just two of the songs Davis has shared with his audience this year. In conversation with Music Mayhem, he also revealed a new song called, “More Than A Flag”, that could possibly be his most impactful song yet.
“Every single bit of what I get to do, from raising my kids, to writing music and singing songs is because brave men and women made the selfless decision to fight for, die for and protect our country. There will never be enough words to explain how grateful I am of those who put their life on the line for our freedom. It’s More Than A Flag.”
Davis sat down with Music Mayhem to talk about getting his start on TikTok, latest releases, new music, his family, and more.
Read on to find out more about what Davis has been up to in this exclusive Q&A below.
For our readers to get to know you a little bit more, can you share your backstory?
Hello everyone! My name is Brandon Davis, I am a 27 year old, father of 4 from Tennessee. Music has always been a huge part of my life, but I never pictured myself being where I am today and I have my beautiful wife to thank for that. I’m officially one year into pursuing music as a career and man what a year it has been!
What inspired you to pursue a career in country music and is this something you’ve always wanted to do?
Well, as I said before, music has always played a huge role in my life. My dad toured the country and even opened up for Garth Brooks back in 1988, but he took a step back from it all when I was born. I started singing at an early age, and began writing songs and playing guitar in high school. Looking back, I always dreamed of pursuing music but it always seemed so out of reach that I never just went for it. However, in 2019 I was hit head on by a distracted driver and could have very well lost my life. As a dad of three at the time with one on the way, it really made me evaluate how short life was. I thought to myself, “How can I teach my children to chase their own dreams if I don’t chase mine?” This thought weighed heavy on me for a few months but the opportunity never seemed to be there. Now those of you that have had the privilege of meeting my wife know that she is a very determined individual that does not wait for opportunities, she just makes things happen. After seeing a few artists on Tiktok, she insisted I sing while we were headed home from Dollywood on Father’s Day and she posted it to Tiktok. Before I knew it, she had Tiktok and Instagram accounts full of people asking to hear my original music and so my music career began.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences/inspirations?
I’ve always looked up to my dad when it comes to music. He taught me everything I know and always pushes me to be the best I can. I definitely would not be the musician I am today without him. I do have to give some credit to Merle Haggard as well though. I used to sing Merle Haggard’s greatest hits for hours on end and always admired how he was able to build a music career for himself even after years in prison.
You’ve just been killing the music game lately, releasing single after single. Can you tell us the story behind a few of your recently released tracks like “What Cowboys Are For,” “Ice Cold” and your fan-favorite hit “Step By Step”?
Thanks man! It really means a lot. Growing up, my dad always said “ a song should always tell a story and come from the heart” and I always hear that in the back of my head when I write a new one.
I wrote “What Cowboys Are For” with Alex Smith and Kyle Clark and it was actually the first co-write I had ever been a part of. The guys came over and we ordered some pizza and spent about 8 hours working on this one and becoming really close friends. The idea for the song actually came from Kyle and a line from the movie Yellowstone where Jon Dutton says “That’s What Cowboys Are For”. I really love the way we pulled this one together and I could not imagine having a better group of guys in the room for my first co-write. What’s funny is, at the end of this write we set down to record the demo and the kids had been in and out of the room all day so I had Easton, my youngest, in my lap when I recorded the demo for the song. Well a couple weeks later, Kyle and Alex surprised me with the track fully produced , these two are phenomenal producers as well, and they had used that demo tape from the loft while I had Easton in my lap. So the version you all hear when you listen to the song is the first and only recorded version of this song and it features a one year old nestled about a foot away from the mic.
“Ice Cold” is really just one of those feel-good, summertime, weekend drinking songs. Surprisingly enough, I do most of my songwriting while driving around in my truck. It’s super unconventional but when a line or a tune pops into my head it’s usually while I’m in the truck and by the time I get where I’m going I’ll have a verse or chorus done and I’ll be pulling out my phone to record it. That’s exactly what happened with “Ice Cold”. I remember driving home from work after a rough week and just being ready to enjoy the weekend with my family and so “Ice Cold” was born. This song was actually one of the first originals I showed my Tiktok crowd. They quickly dubbed it the “BD Brigade anthem” and it turned into somewhat of a tradition to close out my live streams with it.
Man, this one always gets me. So those of you who know me, know that I am a stepdad to two incredible children. When I met my wife Destiny, Brantley and Maleah were about to celebrate their first and second birthdays. These kiddos absolutely stole my heart from the very beginning and quickly taught me what it means to be a dad. Back in October of 2020, my wife heard the song “My Boy” by Elvie Shane and she had me blind react to it on Tiktok with pictures of Brantley and I together. I cried like a baby. It truly is an incredible song and it inspired me to tell my story as a stepdad and put to words just how much these kiddos mean to me. I actually started writing this one while I was at work, quickly recorded a voice memo and pitched it to my wife who is great at giving me feedback. Her mother, as well as several of her friends and family members had stepped up as foster parents, adoptive parents and even just grandparents raising their grandchildren and so she gave me the awesome idea to keep the song written in a way that can fit every scenario of someone who stepped up to raise a child they didn’t have to. We’ve heard so many incredible stories from people who connected with the song and I still get teary-eyed just about every time I sing it thinking of how blessed I am to get to call Maleah and Brantley mine.
Are you currently in the process of writing/recording more new music, if so, what can you tell us about it? Will these songs appear on a debut EP/album that is in the works?
I would be lying if I said there’s ever a day where I’m not writing something new. Whether it’s on my own in the truck or during some of the awesome co-writes I’ve gotten with some pretty great songwriters in the past 6 months, there’s always something new being cooked up. I’m actually releasing “More Than A Flag” July 2nd. This song is a tribute to our veterans and is dropping just in time for the fourth of July holiday. I say this during every single show, if it wasn’t for the brave men and women serving our country, I wouldn’t be getting to chase my dreams or sing my songs and for that my hat is off to each and every one of you. Beyond that, I’ve got quite a few songs I’m working on releasing, along with at least a dozen or so I want to get the ball rolling on and I definitely can see that water-falling into an EP soon.
Did you ever think you would find the success you have found before joining TikTok and releasing music?
Absolutely not. That’s not at all to say I didn’t dream of it, but it was like I had this dream and no real way to make it happen. I spent most of my life chasing baseball and music was on the back burner because baseball seemed to be what was going to get me where I wanted to go. And it did for a while. I got a college scholarship for baseball and made some lifelong friends from it. I ended up injuring my arm a little while playing in college and it forced me to have a moment in life where I really got serious about my future and switched my major to engineering. So baseball switched to a hobby and I dove deep into an engineering degree. Music was always there and I was still writing in the midst of all this and playing any chance I could, but I have to admit, I never in a million years thought I would actually have the opportunity to pursue it. The support and love that the video my wife made me do standing at the fridge singing received was actually the first moment where I felt like this could actually turn into something. That video is sitting at nearly 13 million views right now and I still go back and read through the comments of those that encouraged me from the very beginning to get my voice out there.
With TikTok being a driving force in the music industry lately, How important do you feel TikTok is today in helping artists have their music heard?
I feel like TikTok is a really powerful tool when it comes to getting your music out in front of people who may have never heard it otherwise. It’s mind blowing to think of the millions of people you have the potential to reach with just one 60 sec clip. The crazy thing is, when my wife encouraged me to let her post my singing on TikTok I remember thinking “TikTok is for dancing and telling jokes… I can’t dance and I’m the only person that finds my Dad jokes funny, so what’s the point”? But man, it’s crazy what social media can do and I will always encourage people to just get out there and try new things since seeing how the past year has gone.
How would you say your music has grown since you first shared your originals to TikTok?
Before TikTok, I didn’t have a music career in the slightest. It’s still crazy to think about. I had posted a few YouTube videos here and there and my wife had shared them out on Facebook and I played with my family band once a month. But beyond that, most of our friends didn’t even know I could sing. My music has grown exponentially since sharing stuff on TikTok. I released my very first single “God Made Angels” in November of 2020 after raising the funds through a CustomInk fundraiser on TikTok. Since then, I’ve been able to release 3 more songs and was even brought onto a collaboration release of “Thunder Rolls – The Long Version” by State of Mind and No Resolve when they discovered me on TikTok and reached out. It has been an insane year to say the least and I have God, my wife and TikTok to thank for that.
Your wife is a big part of your music career and plays a huge role in some of your success on TikTok. How much does that mean to you that you can grow together?
There are not enough words to describe how thankful I am to have such an incredibly loving, and supportive wife. I’ve joked in the past that all I do is sing and write the songs and that she is the brains behind it all but that is 100% the truth. I couldn’t do this without her and I am so very thankful to get to do this with her. We have grown so much together in this past year from spending countless hours together in the car headed to shows to sitting down in the kitchen and playing trivia games on TikTok live. She is my rock and the fuel to my fire.
Your logo recently appeared on the back of Brandon Brown’s Nascar car in Nashville, what was that experience like and how did it feel to see your brand on a Nascar?
Mind-blowing. I don’t think I will ever get over how awesome it was getting to be a part of the Nascar race with Brandon Brown and the Brandonbilt Motorsports team. My wife actually manages all my bookings and emails and when Brandon Brown’s team reached out and sent over their plan to incorporate a rising country artist into the #68 car for Nascar’s return to Nashville, my wife actually kept it a secret. She set it all up and waited to surprise me since she knew the weekend of the race marked my one year anniversary of launching my music career on TikTok. It was quite the surprise and I was honored to be able to have my logo be a part of something so cool. Brown and his crew are all incredible people, chasing a dream just like I am and I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to partner together.
You just announced a brand new song called “More Than A Flag,” can you tell us the story behind that song and how it came to fruition?
A few months ago, my wife started this new series on TikTok where instead of coming up and requesting a song she would come up and have me write a song on the spot. So the day before Memorial Day, my wife came running up and asked me to write a song about Memorial Day there in our kitchen. My Granddaddy John had served and so the song really hit close to home for me and when people started commenting asking me to finish it, I stayed up all night writing the song so that I could post an acoustic video of it on Youtube the next day to honor the holiday. Throughout the day people kept asking on Youtube and TikTok for me to release the song and so a week or so later I called up one of my producers, Jacob Frish, and asked if he thought he could help me get an acoustic version of the song out for the fourth of July. He agreed to team up on it even with the time crunch and I set up my little home studio in our master bedroom closet and my wife recorded the vocals and guitar and we sent them off. The next day I got a text from Frish saying the song deserved more than an acoustic release and that if I was up for it, he’d work double time to get it produced and ready to release, full-band, for the holiday weekend. And man did he deliver. I don’t want to give too much away but he added a little surprise at the end that still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
Why does it mean so much to you to be able to pay tribute to those who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for our country?
Every single bit of what I get to do, from raising my kids, to writing music and singing songs is because brave men and women made the selfless decision to fight for, die for and protect our country. There will never be enough words to explain how grateful I am of those who put their life on the line for our freedom. It’s More Than A Flag.
If you could duet with any country superstar dead or alive, who would you choose and why would you pick them?
If I could duet with any country singer it would probably have to be Jamey Johnson. I love his powerhouse vocals and storytelling capabilities.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years and what goals do you want to reach by then?
This is such a tough question to answer. I feel like when we were back in high school and teachers asked “ where do you see yourself in 5 years” there was a much simpler measure for what “success” was than there is now as a parent. All I can think of now is how my baby girl will be headed to middle school in 5 years and how fast time really does fly. To be completely honest, I’m the happiest with my life right now that I’ve ever been and I just hope to be able to build and expand on that. This past year, I’ve spent more time with family, I’ve made incredible life-long friends, and I’ve been able to chase my dreams with the most amazing woman by my side. So I’ll take more of that and a lot more music.
What’s next for you for the rest of 2021 and beyond?
Be ready for new music and a lot of it. I have so many songs I want to get out to you guys and where there is a will there is a way. I also just launched the Step by Step tour and I will be traveling all over the country and I can’t wait to meet you all. I can’t thank you all enough for all the love and support you’ve shown me and my family and I am super pumped for what is to come!
