St. Augustine Record Article (June 4, 2010)

Billy Buchanan

Nashville transplant starts making name for himself in local music scene

By Kara Pound

A few years ago, singer-songwriter, Billy Buchanan, was burnt out from the Nashville music scene. He had been touring since he was 17 with various gigs including guitarist for Rebecca St. James and frontman for the band Fusebox. “I had been playing 300 days a year – on the road, recording and then back on the road,” he explained to Compass during a recent interview. Buchanan’s also shared the stage with a slew of impressive names like Shawn Mullins, G. Love & Special Sauce, Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland), David Ryan Harris (John Mayer’s guitarist), K.C. & The Sunshine Band and the Funky Meters.

But he ultimately grew disillusioned with the music industry. “It’s one of those towns that you move there and you just get so happy that you’re working, but further down the line you’re like man am I doing what I want to do or just kinda paying bills right now?,” he said of Nashville. In 2007, Buchanan decided it was time to leave the hustle and bustle of big city life. While touring the country, he had fallen in love with the Southeast – especially St. Augustine, so when it was time to move on, he knew exactly where he wanted to plant roots.

This was nearly three years ago and it’s taken the singer-songwriter about that long to want to pursue music locally. But once Buchanan did, it’s been gangbusters ever since. This year, he’s released his latest album, “Hold On”, which he recorded at his home studio (it’s available for purchase at billybuchanan.org, cdbaby.com and iTunes). It’s a stripped down record with just vocals and an acoustic guitar – much like he plays his area gigs.

“To be able to say that I make my living playing music is, of course, a huge blessing,” Buchanan says of performing six nights a week, from Ormond Beach to Fernandina Beach and everywhere in between. He plays a mixture of original material and covers from musicians like Bill Withers, Prince, John Mayer and Jason Mraz. “The ultimate goal is to get to a place where people want to hear your original stuff more than covers.”

Buchanan’s also been working on new material, an album named “The Music Man,” which is slated for a fall release. “Nico Constantine, who played guitar for Lady Gaga last year and was her music director, and Clint Lowery, guitarist for the rock band Sevendust, are producing a few songs on my next album,” he said. “I've known both of them for years. I'm producing a good portion of the album, but they're adding their touch on a few tunes.” While Buchanan has friends in high places, he’s perfectly happy playing music in The Nation’s Oldest City.

Listen to Billy Buchanan’s music at billybuchanan.org.

Hold On

You can purchase a copy of Billy Buchanan's latest release, Hold on, today! The entire album is recorded with just vocals and acoustic guitar, just the way Billy writes his songs. Fans of Billy's songwriting will really enjoy this new album.

Billy Buchanan Music Available

Billy's albums, Hold On and Transparent, are both available to purchase at billybuchanan.org, cdbaby.com, and iTunes. Both albums by Fusebox, Billy's former band, are available to purchase at billybuchanan.org, and iTunes.

Booking

To book Billy Buchanan, contact Dawn Whitmore at YKP, LLC. Phone: 252-349-9866. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Websites

www.billybuchanan.org

www.myspace.com/billybuchanan

www.facebook.com/billybuchananmusic

www.twitter.com/buchananbilly 

www.youtube.com/billybuchananmusic