Music has always been at the heart and soul of award-winning musician Gary Bennett, whose first solo outing, Human Condition, was released February 21, 2006, on Landslide Records. Produced by the notable R.S. Field (Billy Joe Shaver, Allison Moorer, Webb Wilder), the album showcases a strong combination of original songs performed by a superb cast of Nashville luminaries.

Gary Bennett co-fronted and was a founding member of the critically acclaimed country music band BR549, who recorded five well-received albums (four with Arista and one with Sony), received three Grammy nominations and was hailed by music industry trade magazine Billboard as having single-handedly revived the soul of country music in Nashville. During Gary's tenure, the band sold over 500,000 albums and toured the world, headlining shows as well as opening for such artists as Bob Dylan, George Jones, Merle Haggard, the Black Crowes and Brian Setzer. BR549 was also voted "Best Country Group" in 1996 by Rolling Stone magazine.

Bennett was born October 9, 1964 in Las Vegas, Nevada to country music loving parents. After living in Conroe, Texas for the first 5 years of his life, and a year more in southern California, the family settled in
the small Northwest-logging town of Cougar, Washington, which is nestled at the foot of Mt. St. Helens. By age 16, Gary was playing bass for a gospel band and began to get a taste of the musician's life on the road.
After high school and a series of logging jobs, Bennett began performing as a solo act in hometown bars every weekend, playing the traditional country songs he had learned as a boy from his parent's record
collection, along with a growing repertoire of original songs.

In 1993, he loaded his pickup truck and headed for Nashville. Unfortunately, he arrived at a time when "real country music" had been all but forgotten.

After attending many fruitless songwriter nights, Gary began hanging out in the honky-tonks of the historic "Lower Broadway" area of downtown Nashville. "I felt that though it was a destitute scene, it was also
wide open for something to happen there," he reminisced. Within a month, Bennett took a solo gig at a bar there. Eventually, he fronted a band at Roberts' Western World, a boot store by day, honky-tonk by night. It was about this time that he met singer-songwriter Chuck Mead, and the duo quickly realized they had similar interests and styles. The chemistry was perfect for an updated approach to traditional country music.

The two formed the group, which after various personnel changes, became BR549. Less than six months after arriving in Nashville, they were on their way to becoming the darlings of Music City. BR549 graced
the cover of Billboard magazine before they even had a record deal. Shortly thereafter, the band was
hounded by every major record label in town, eventually signing with Arista Records.

After five major album releases and years of constant world wide touring, Gary felt as though the musical freedom BR549 once enjoyed had become stagnant due to the "retro" pin tagged to them. Wanting to make original & more progressive music, Bennett made a decision in to step away from the group and let his head clear. Gary Bennett left BR549 in 2002 and retreated from music for a short while, only to return to writing and performing.

"Getting back in touch with real people in the real world gave me the inspiration to start writing again," he says. A series of personal tragedies in 2004 helped reinforce that desire. "I know that music was given to us to smooth the rough, bumpy road of life," he states. "I believe that whether I'm walking down the sidewalk or on a stage, my purpose is to try to help people. Songwriting is what I have been given to achieve that."

After considerable wood shedding and a plethora of club gigs in and around Nashville, Gary succeeded in re-defining the music that's true to his heart. He's back and sounding better than ever on Human Condition. This is sincere music being made by one of country music's most distinctive voices.

Bennett first became aware of producer R.S. Field after hearing his production work on an R.B. Morris album about 10 years ago. "As I listened to the album," remembers Bennett, "it was obvious that the songs were the focus and the musicians just loved playing them. Right then, I thought that if I ever do a solo album, he's the producer I'd want."

Human Condition presents 12 new songs, most of which were written by Bennett, including one co-written with Todd Snider ("Better Than This"). "That song began - as most of mine do - as an instrumental that we used to call 'The Swamp Song' because of its feel," says Bennett. "Several years ago, I happened to catch a Todd Snider performance on TV and liked his rhythmic wording and stream of consciousness approach to writing. Shortly thereafter, we got the chance to write together and I played him this song. 'Better Than This' is about finding out what's over the next hill. When I started to write the lyrics, I was reminded of the little town that I grew up in Washington that was next to a mountain. At night, it revealed the glow of lights in the distance, which was the city of Portland, Oregon. As it turned out, Todd was growing up in Portland at the same time I was in Washington, so he could relate to what I was seeing."

Gary's studio band features some of Nashville's finest musicians, including Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart) on guitar, Jimmy Lester (Webb Wilder, Los Straitjackets) on drums and Mark Winchester (Emmylou Harris, Brian Setzer Orchestra) on bass. Special guests include Marty Stuart, who plays mandolin on several tracks as well as rhythm guitar on the song, "Just Wanna Be With You," legendary pedal steel guitar player Lloyd Green, and producer R.S. Field on several instruments.

As Gary begins his career as a solo artist, the opportunities - and the challenges - do not escape him. " It feels strange and exciting at the same time," he says. "When I began performing, I thought my musical strengths were as a songwriter and harmony singer. Then, with BR549, I got a chance to step out front and develop as a front man. Now, with the variety of songs I have on this album, I think I've shown maturity in both those areas. I don't agree with the saying 'it's all been done before'. I mean, lyrically, and through music, good songs will always be able to convey new thoughts or fresh opinions to people. Recording this album has been totally liberating."

•  Get ready to tap your...
•  Damn I wish I could...
•  love to hear this live
• There's a deeper Nashville that...
•  I'm a country fan: stop...

Biography

Matt Harlan is a songwriter's songwriter. He composes scenic landscapes and pointed statements disguised as songs. Often non-linear, but always melodic, Harlan's works confront social norms, celebrate lives overlooked, or just wax poetic about coffee and bus stops. Whatever the inspiration, the music is always heartfelt and genuine.

Born and raised in Texas, Harlan soaked up the richness of the state and its song-smiths while bouncing between big cities and small towns. Always in love with music, he eventually learned to play and write it. From '60s pop in kindergarten to alt-country in college and all the angst in between, Harlan draws from a range of influences, interpreting a generation steeped in plastic and filtered through the Hill Country limestone.

After gigging in rock bands around San Antonio and Austin, Harlan dropped the pick and the power chords to develop his own unique fingerstyle guitar technique. Now back in Houston he is working to promote his earthy, socially conscious sound, which is continually evolving.

Accomplishments

In 2003 Matt Harlan won the Kerrville Folk Festival's Texas University Songwriters Competition based on the merit of his songs “Suitcase Blues,” “Warm November,” and “The Optimist.” Winning the competition allowed him to play on the Threadgill's Stage at the Festival along with other songwriters from Texas universities.

The Houston Fort Bend Songwriter's Association (HFBSA) has nominated Matt Harlan's “Heavy Steel and Spinning Wheels” for their 2006 Song of the Year award.

Matt Harlan was recently offered the chance to play at the legendary Anderson Fair for its songwriters showcase series. Details can be found on Matt Harlan's websites and at www.andersonfair.com.

•  Good Folk Story
•  Thoughful folk song