Dave Brainard

While he’ll tell you he’s from Nebraska, Brainard was raised in an Air Force family that moved around the world, from Korea to Germany. Along the way, he acquired an affinity for music, and he's never looked back. After a year of college, he was invited to audition as a guitarist for the prestigious U.S. Air Force band, and went on to serve active duty for five years at Offutt AFB NE.

After his service to the military, Dave’s natural ear for music, love of country music, combined with a Midwestern, hard-work ethic, landed him in Nashville to pursue a songwriting career. Within a couple years of arriving in Music City, he signed his first publishing deal with Balmur Corus (Thom Schuyler, Cyndi Forman). A few cuts later, Dave went on to sign with Big Picture Entertainment where he wrote for producer, Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson/ Zac Brown Band).

Dave's songwriting credits include cuts by Brooks & Dunn, Neal McCoy, Sammy Kershaw, Ricochet, Hunter Hayes, Jeff Bridges (the Dude), and Jenny Tolman to name a few.

Dave is a self-taught producer who started in the demo business, working with hit songwriters like Chris Tompkins, Steven Dale Jones, Jim McBride, Skip Ewing, The Warren Brothers, Rory Bourke (among many others) and a famous Country music underdog – Jamey Johnson, producing They Call Me Country, the album that kick-started Johnson’s career.

“I still believe in making a great album,” Dave explains. “When working with a truly inspired artist, I enjoy the stewardship of helping their story unfold.”

Those stories have unfolded great success for Brainard, including producing albums for Jerrod Niemann (including the #1 hit “Lover Lover” and the top five “What Do You Want”) and earning him a Grammy nomination for Brandy Clark’s acclaimed album, 12 Stories. 

“12 Stories is one of those rare albums whose every song is worth hearing,” said NPR’s Ken Tucker. “Every one is that striking, that textured and finely detailed… smoothly crafted, emotionally rough compositions.”

Clark says of her collaboration with Dave, “In a world where we are in a singles driven market, Dave Brainard makes records. That is why I wanted to work with him… he really makes albums that are a complete piece of art.”

Sunny Sweeney's album "Trophy", released on Thirty Tigers, drew high praise from everyone ranging from Rolling Stone, Billboard, to Saving Country Music. Rolling Stone's Stephen Betts writes, "With Brainard, Sweeney has found her own little world of creativity."

The newest additions to Dave’s body of work include Jenny Tolman’s 2019 critically acclaimed “There Goes the Neighborhood” album, Brit Taylor’s “Real Me” album (2020) , and the recently released Jon Wolfe “Dos Corazones”. All destined for big things.

Stay tuned.