She quickly gives her parents
credit for having the greatest
impact on her life, “They have
always been supportive of my
dreams and goals, without
hesitation. I moved to Texas
when I was 18 and didn’t know
a single person there. I know
that was hard for them.” That
ingenuous sacrifice was a wise
one, indeed.
She adds, “I’m like a bee! I work, work,
work for that sweet honey called music!
Trying to get that grassroots buzz going!”
Bri’s a far cry from just another
pretty face. After graduating
4th out of 550 with a GPA
greater than a 4.0, she could
have pursued any field she
wanted, which landed her in Austin, Texas. There she earned a
Marketing degree in 2009 at the University of Texas’ McCombs School
of Business.
She says, “I had a day job for a few months after graduating. I loved
that, too, but it wasn’t as fulfilling as music. Music is definitely the
more difficult path, I think.” She adds, “I believe that God gave me
songwriting as a gift, and to hold that inside of me wouldn’t be fulfilling
my purpose in life.”
6 years down the road, Bri’s been chasing that God-sent dream. “I’ve
been in the Texas scene for a long time (by my standards). Every
weekend we meet new people who come to the merch table and are
surprised to see that I have three albums out, because they have never
heard of me before. We aren’t new like many people think; we have
persevered! Someone told me once that this scene is a lot about who
can stay in it the longest without giving up. I’ve taken that to heart,
and I haven’t quit.”
“I’ve had the band (The Banned) for four and a half years, but I played
for over two years just acoustic before that, and before that I had been
playing with my brothers in a band in New Mexico for about 7 years. I
think it’s been a slow and steady ride for me, and meeting people/fans/
bar owners/ radio DJs along the way has all really added up over time.
Plus, The Banned and I really LOVE talking to people and hanging
out after the shows. I think we’ve gained a lot of fans that have become
friends along the way! Still a long way to go…”
Folks might be curious as to why a New Mexico native like Bri would
chose Texas Music, and she does not hesitate to explain. “There is
nothing like the Texas Music Scene (which also has us touring other
states like New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Louisiana due to
the music’s popularity). We play over 130 dates a year, but a large
majority of the radio stations that play our music are in Texas. You
can make a living here just playing live music, which is absolutely
crazy, and AWESOME!”.
When asked about her most memorable performance, she replies,
“There are so many! We were 60 tickets from selling out Gruene Hall
in 2014. It was incredible. People came from all over to support me on
my first headlining gig there! People were singing all of the words to
the songs, and I was emotional the entire time. My family was there
too, which was special.”
“It was exactly who I was at that
point in my life. I think I sound
really young on it, but I get people
all the time that say they still love
that album. I think it was a raw
representation of myself before I
knew “rules” about songwriting
and had any clue about singing in
a studio.” CD’s “Bri Bagwell EP”
& “When A Heart Breaks” have
followed as her style continues
to mature.
Currently her favorite song
grew out of her agricultural
background. “Dear John Deer”,
is about asking an old John Deere
tractor to give just one more year
when times are tough. It’s interesting and humbling to see the way
people relate to it.
Her song “Whiskey” caught the attention of Rebecca Creek Whiskey,
so about 3 years ago the President of Rebecca Creek/ Enchanted Rock
approached Bri at a Gruene Hall show. “He had a Texas-shaped basket
with some of the best whiskey I’ve ever tasted in it. I had just released
my song “Whiskey” to Texas Radio, and he thought we should partner
up.” The rest is history, because she says, “You can find life-sized
Bri Bagwell standups in over 90 liquor stores across the state, which
makes for some pretty funny incoming text messages from my friends
when they find them.”
Although she sings Texas country songs, Bri’s a big fan of 60’s music
and loves The Beetles, CCR, and Fleetwood Mac. However,