Brett Barest: The Next Chapter

• Greenville, SC

Being a music journalist was not a job I ever applied for but, rather, something I essentially fell into. I was writing entertainment and outdoors pieces for an Anderson Independent publication in 2015 when my editor told me that his regular music writer was leaving for a new job and I was his pick to take the proverbial baton. I had no idea what that weekly assignment might entail but, being a lifelong music lover still relatively new to the world of paid writing gigs, I naturally said yes.

In the six years since accepting that opportunity, I have written about the local music scene for the Anderson Independent and Greenville News’ weekly entertainment papers, In the Know Upstate and, most recently, iOnGreenville. Along the way, I have fallen in love with the practice of scouring venue and event calendars every week, putting on the headphones and listening to new (or new to me) artists, and telling anyone who happens to be reading about my picks for the best show or shows of the week. This process has introduced me to some of my current favorite artists and, perhaps unexpectedly, some new and genuine friendships over the years.

Brett Barest

This brings me back to September of 2015 when a band by the name of Brother Oliver caught my ear. “They” were playing at the old Moe Joes in Downtown Greenville and I found their sound intriguing enough for my weekly feature. I say “they” because the show was actually a solo performance by Andrew Oliver as brother Stephen was still finishing college in Michigan before he would make the move to South Carolina to round out the original duo. I was impressed by the brothers’ commitment to recording music from afar while Andrew laid the foundation for the bands’ growth here in Greenville and it is one of many stories over the years that is nearly as fresh in my mind today as it was when I wrote it. 

When I wrote that article I predicted that Brother Oliver was a young band with a lot of promise and potential for good things to come. While I might have expected the quality of the music they have produced since then, I doubt I would have been able to forecast their Artist of the Year Award at the Inaugural Upstate Music Award, the work they have done with their own record label Forthright Records, or their invention of music product Dummiez and co-founding of WAVS Custom Earphones. I simply expected good music but Andrew might as well have told me to hold his beer while he and Stephen would set out to find success in more ways than I ever could have imagined.

The biggest thing I could not have predicted in 2015 was Andrew one day reaching out to me to see if I was interested in keeping the conversation going with Forthright Records after iOnGreenville sadly closed its digital doors. If I am being honest, I figured my run of music writing was either over or, at best, might live on through some blog as a casual hobby. It turns out that Andrew was thinking bigger than that and has created this space for me to continue to share my thoughts on the local music scene. Looking forward to upcoming shows will still be the primary mission but I hope to branch out with reviews of new releases, general music news, and maybe even some unsolicited opinions on the state of the scene in general.  For starters though, I would like to thank Forthright Records for the opportunity, just as I have appreciated everyone who has given me the chance to preach the local music gospel over the years. It has been a great ride and, suddenly, I feel like I am just getting started all over again. Here’s to new beginnings and a whole lot of local music…