Brandon Jarod

Brandon usually performs with a power trio setting complete with himself on guitar and vocals accompanied by a bassist and a drummer. However he also does strip down sets with either himself solo or himself with a drummer or even a drum machine.

His main influences are Blues, Rock, Funk, Hip Hop and R&B and in his live show he seamlessly combines these genres into his own unique sound. His show is soulful, improvisational, unpredictable, explosive and best of all loud.

Brandon Jarod was born in Milwaukee, WI to working class parents. A quiet yet inquisitive child, he would often entertain himself with drawing and writing imaginative short stories. Though he didn't come from a musical family, Brandon's father was an avid listener of the band Parliament Funkadelic which Brandon would recount as "the first music I remember hearing." Seeing him play air guitar on a baseball bat, his mother made him his first guitar with rubber bands for strings, a cereal box for a body and a paper towel roll for a neck. Seeing his interest for music, she eventually enrolled Brandon in his school choir and orchestra playing the trumpet.

The family eventually picked up and moved south to Virginia Beach, VA when he was 11 years old. The slightly traumatic event effected Brandon in such a way that he discontinued his singing, trumpet playing, and any other form of music for years. It wasn't until his 18th birthday that his mother bought him his first real guitar and for the next year, Brandon would spend up to 10 hours a day locked in his room teaching himself how to play it. Over the next 4 years Brandon would play in several local bands of various styles ranging from R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Gospel and Blues quickly becoming one of the most talented and in demand guitarist in the area both live and in the studio, drawing comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. It was these formative years that would prove to be irreplaceable in Brandon's development as a musician and an artist in his own right...playing along with and opening for Jasmine Sullivan, Jaguar Wright, The Clipse, The Zapp Band, The Cool Kids, The Fuzz Band and Eric Benet to name a few.

Brandon struck out on his own forming his own record label NICOBE Records and started releasing his own music. "The Crush - EP" was Brandon's first music exploration with "The Age of Zero - EP" afterwards along with several single releases. Brandon is now back in the studio after a long hiatus preparing for the release of his first full length studio album. Stay tuned for new live performances, music videos and merchandise.

Brandon usually performs with a small trio which includes bass guitar, lead guitar, drums and one lead vocal. Would like to perform at a venues with a PA system already in place. Will bring instruments, but will also play with a back line if necessary.