Brent Cobb
| Brent Cobb | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Brent Cobb |
| Occupation(s) | Singer/Songwriter |
| Labels | |
| Website | http://www.brentcobb.net/ |
Brent Cobb is an American country music singer-songwriter from Ellaville, Georgia. He currently writes for Carnival Music and released his self-titled EP "Brent Cobb" in 2012 (Carnival Recording Company). His songs have been recorded by Luke Bryan, Little Big Town, Eli Young Band, Kellie Pickler, David Nail, and Frankie Ballard.
Biography
Brent was born in Ellaville, Georgia, about an hour east of Columbus, in the rural south-central part of the state. Both parents were highly musical, both his father and uncle were songwriters. This led Brent pick up the guitar at age 12, and begin writing songs at 13. “I was never going to move from Georgia and didn't care to,” says Brent. Brent intended to follow in his father's footsteps and stay in Georgia. “I loved being where I was from. I always liked the idea of being the guy who never left and didn't pursue music, but who wrote these cool songs that folks loved down there.”[1]
When Brent was 18 he was in a band called Mile Marker 5, playing small shows around the state. Around the same time his great aunt died. As a pallbearer at the funeral Brent met a distant cousin, Dave Cobb, who was a record producer in Los Angeles, California. Some family members gave Dave Cobb a 6 song demo recording of Brent's work.
Cousin Dave Cobb produces Shooter Jennings, The Secret Sisters, Jamey Johnson and other artists. Two days after hearing Brent's song demos, he invited him to come to Los Angeles to make a record. Brent Cobb commuted back and forth at first, then moved to L.A. to complete his 2006 CD No Place Left to Leave.
Back home after the recording a fellow Georgian took interest in Brent's work. Brent Cobb's band, Mile Marker 5, had opened a number of shows for artist Luke Bryan. Luke had heard Brent's work, taken an interest in him, and invited him to come to Nashville.
Luke brought Brent to Nashville, put him up at his house, and took him on a tour of booking agencies, publishing companies, and record labels. Brent made the permanent move to Nashville in 2008.
During his first year in Music City, Brent worked at Walgreens developing photos. It turned out that the time he’d spent in L.A. had not been in vain. In 2009, Dave Cobb produced The Oak Ridge Boys CD The Boys Are Back. It included the quartet’s version of Brent’s ballad “Hold Me Closely.” In the meantime, Brent played his songs for Matthew Miller at Carnival Music in Nashville.[2]
Carnival signed him to a songwriting contract in 2009. By 2011, Luke Bryan had recorded Brent’s “Tailgate Blues,” David Nail and Frankie Ballard both released his song “Grandpa’s Farm,” Kellie Pickler did his “Rockaway” and the Eli Young Band recorded “Go Outside and Dance.”[3]
In the meantime, Brent recorded his self-titled EP and has opened for superstars such as Blake Shelton.
Musical style
Brent Cobb's work is rooted in traditional country and bluegrass sounds. Country Weekly described Brent as an "inspired" songwriter. They added, "Banjo, mandolin and doghouse bass dominate, and his songs, whether hard-core country or middle of the road, possess a distinct sense of purity and integrity."[4]
Country California called him "one of Nashville's sharpest up-and-coming songwriters," adding "Brent Cobb might be just the guy to bring some rural reality back to country radio." [5]
Notable cuts
| Recording Artist | Song Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| Luke Bryan | "Tailgate Blues" | Tailgates & Tanlines |
| Kellie Pickler | "Rockaway (The Rockin' Chair Song)" | 100 Proof |
| Little Big Town | "Pavement Ends" | Tornado |
| Eli Young Band | "Go Outside and Dance" | Life at Best |
| David Nail | "Grandpa's Farm" | The Sound of a Million Dreams |
| Frankie Ballard | "Grandpa's Farm" | Frankie Ballard |
| The Oak Ridge Boys | “Hold Me Closely” | The Boys Are Back |
| Miranda Lambert | “Old Shit” | Platinum |
