Daily Inspiration: Meet Brittany Bexton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Bexton.

Hi Brittany, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I’ve been involved in music my whole life. I was the kid who wandered around humming without even knowing it. I began writing songs and taking voice lessons when I was about 11, and my passion just grew from there. I went to a conservatory for college, and when I graduated, I started immediately working in professional theater. Mostly musicals, but straight shows as well. After doing that for a couple of years, I realized I wanted to be able to focus more on my music, and on film and TV work, so I stopped doing theater, started a band in CA, and began doing commercial and film work as an actor and model. I really couldn’t do what I needed to with music in CA, so, after praying about it and getting a clear GO from God, I moved to Nashville in 2011. I had never even been to the state before when I moved here, and I didn’t know anyone, other than 1 traveling musician I’d met in CA. I just packed my car as full as I could get it, and drove across the country for a new adventure. And boy has it been quite the ride!

I ended up having to get a restraining order against my first roommate in town, after only being here for 3 months, and as a result of that situation, I was homeless temporarily. I had the funds to live somewhere, but there was nowhere to go initially, and I stayed with people I’d just met, who are like angels on earth until I could find a place. Friends from back in CA kept telling me I needed to write a book, and I’d joke that I needed a little more victory before anyone would want to read it. I threw myself completely into my music at that point, and I started touring full-time. For 4 years, I was on the road almost every weekend, and some days through the week. Initially, I toured as an acoustic duo and then started doing more full-band shows over time. I was playing 50 to 100 shows a year, traveling all over the US to do them, and playing in 18 states.

Meanwhile, while I was home in Nashville, I was doing co-writes, going out networking when I could, handling bookings, and even promoting my own music to different publications and radio stations. I was literally working 12-16 hour days most days. I accomplished a lot during that time and was able to sustain my life and bills with music full-time while on the road. During that time frame, I released two EPs, and two singles, I played many many shows; fairs, festivals, bars, and special events all over. I had the pleasure of opening for some amazing artists, including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and having my music featured for regular airplay on a number of stations in the US, and some overseas as well. I had some offers from smaller labels during that time frame and worked a couple of times with different managers, but no one was quite the right fit. In a lot of ways it seemed like things were going really well, but I was missing out on a lot of life because I was working so much, and gone so often. I’d get back from being on the road, and go straight to work at home, and I really didn’t have a core group of friends to come back to as a result. I hadn’t been able to put down roots. After a series of business betrayals and losses in 2015, I felt really tired of doing things that way, and I decided I needed to take a little step back to refocus. I was going through counseling for PTSD at the time due to a number of things that had happened after I moved. At that time I got my real estate license so I could sustain things when I wasn’t touring full-time.

And I chose to do a lighter tour schedule while trying to figure out the next steps. I started writing for my new album and actually building community with a local group of women through the church. I realized at that point, that the music that I was writing was different, and I was feeling inspired to write and share more than just music. I began experiencing the freedom that I hadn’t known before, through trauma counseling and deepening my relationship with God, which really shifted things.

While in the middle of recording my newest album, I was put on a forced pause from recording, and during that time, God told me it was time to write my book. So I did. People frequently ask me how I wrote my book, and I can’t really explain it, except to say that the timing was right, and every day I showed up to do it, and God showed up to give me divine guidance and inspiration. Within the year my book was finished, and I started the editing process, as well as searching for a publisher, as well as recording the rest of my newest album. The first single off of my new album, “Believe Again,” Actually goes hand in hand with my book, “Learning to Believe Again: 30 Days to Finding Hope, Faith, & Comfort in God’s Truth.”

I signed a book deal with Morgan James Publishing in January 2019, and my book was released to the public on February 4, 2020. At the end of that month, my single “Believe Again” was released as well. I had big plans to go on a book and singing tour, as well as doing speaking engagements, but everyone knows what happened next, we had a global shutdown, which seriously shifted the way any of us do music, marketing, or anything like it. I still did a number of interviews, and shows, but I did them from my living room instead of in the studio. And, out of that time, something new was birthed as well. I started doing daily encouragement videos during the lockdown. I would go live and share pieces from my book, or Bible verses and a word that God had pressed in my heart to share. It was a way to promote my book while giving encouragement and love to the folks connected to me. When encouragement and hope were so needed. But, doing those lives led to whole new areas.

During that time I wrote the Bible study Workbook to go with my book and did the first test run of an online Bible Study that I will be launching this year. I released a second single from my new album at the end of 2020 “Kissin’ Fear Goodbye.” Even though it was not a good time to release music from a marketing standpoint, it felt like it was needed. I also spent more time in prayer and worship than I had ever had time to before, which further deepened my relationship with God, and also increased my ability to hear Him clearly. This led to me joining some ministry mentorship courses last year. In September I began working on a new project along with my music. I started a podcast that comes out weekly on Tuesdays called, “The Learning to Believe Again Podcast.” The podcast is mostly testimony based, but some episodes are also prophetic words, and teachings. I’ve always wanted my music to do more than just entertain people, but also to make a difference. I’m really grateful that I’ve been able to do that over time, and still continue to do that now. And it has been exciting to be able to enter into new arenas and encourage people in other ways as well.

Currently, I am working on a music video that was delayed previously due to lockdowns. The Music video for Believe Again will be ready to come out in the next few weeks. And my next single, “Dance With The Devil” will be coming out likely in early Spring. I will be doing music videos for all three singles that are currently out. While I am still figuring out how to handle booking and touring with the current climate of the world. I am excited about the new music, videos, podcast, and ministry work that I am doing. 2022 is set to be a year of a lot of new adventures, blessings, and ways to reach people!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth ride, it’s been more like a rollercoaster.

When I first moved to town I had to get a restraining order against my first roommate after he threatened me in the middle of the night and then continued after I left. This meant that I was temporarily homeless for a period because I didn’t have anywhere to go. It took me a while to find a stable living situation after that.

Over the years I’ve dealt with a lot of crooks. People are very willing to take my money for services in the music industry, that they did not provide after being paid. I’ve had festivals bounce my final checks. I’ve had guitar players and other musicians cancel on me on the day of shows. At one point I even had a promotion company send a cease and desist letter to my radio promoter, claiming they had stolen my business and could no longer promote me. They had no grounds, and the irony is that that company hurt me and my song promotion, not the company that was helping me. I also had a “booking agent” “work” with me, who told me they were working on a big contract for me.

They had so many details. It was supposed to be a 3-month contract with a theme park, and as a result of this “booking,” I put my other booking on hold, only to find out within a month that they had lied to me about the whole thing. they were telling me to check my mail for the contract to sign, and I was finding out from the theme park that they’d never even spoken to this “booking agent.” The same people were also using my attorney’s name to lie to other people. We never could understand why they did that.

It was a scam, but they weren’t even being paid unless I got paid, so we never understood why they lied, or what they had to gain. It was insane. I’ve also had labels and managers sign me and then not do their jobs. Then in 2020 when I was getting ready to really start touring again, the whole world shut down. To say that it’s been a bumpy ride is probably an understatement. But, I have grown so much through the process, I have healed so much through the process, and I’ve been able to touch people’s lives through the process in ways I couldn’t have ever imagined. And I know that this is just the beginning. There is so much more to come.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a singer-songwriter, author, and speaker

My music is rootsy rock, with lyrics that tell a story and bring hope. I’m known for my high-energy performances, ability to connect to the audience, and storytelling. I can make people cry and dance in the same set and leave the show happy. I have two EPs out, another coming soon, with two singles already released from the new album and one coming soon.

The first EP was Self-titled “Brittany Bexton”
Second EP “Free Fall”
3rd one coming soon is “Metamorphosis”
I have released 2 singles from the newest EP – “Believe Again” and “Kissin’ Fear Goodbye,” My third single from the album is coming out soon, it is “Dance with the Devil”

I am also an author, my book “Learning to Believe Again: 30 Days to Finding Hope, Faith, & Comfort in God’s Truth” was published on February 4, 2020. It is for anyone who has gotten to a place where their faith feels broken because of life circumstances. It is a reset in identity, God’s goodness, and faith. I wrote it out of my experience healing from complex trauma.

I also do speaking engagements and have a podcast called “The Learning to Believe Again Podcast”

I’m known as an encourager that meets people where with tenderness, the push that they need, and lots of love along the way.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
This is something I’ve struggled with over time. It’s hard to find people that can consistently be in your life. But I would say be open to learning everywhere you set your feet. There are people that will be in your life for a season that you will learn from. They may leave or you may outgrow them, but you will always have the knowledge that you got from them. Treat every experience as an opportunity for learning and growth, especially the difficult moments.

As far as networking goes, be honest, be yourself, and be kind. Integrity, kindness, and being genuine will always be the winners when it comes to networking and connecting with good people. I’ve had the most unexpected opportunities come out of some of the most unexpected places. I once had a conversation with someone in a long line when we were all frustrated with how the venue was handling the wait. He enjoyed my response and personality so much, he needed up reaching out to me directly later for an artist whom he was looking for songs. Turns out he was in A&R. Expect the unexpected and show up as your best self.

You can find my music, book, and podcast on my website: www.BrittanyBexton.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.BrittanyBexton.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/BrittanyBexton
• Facebook: facebook.com/BrittanyBexton
• Twitter: twitter.com/brittanybexton
• Youtube: youtube.com/bbexcountry 

Image Credits
Shirley Ann Wellman, Brandon Oursler, Cory Lowry, and Donna Rea