What started as calamity ended up becoming Brian Roessler’s defining moment as a songwriter. Having just lost the tip of his ring finger on his fretting hand in an accident, Brian felt completely lost. Playing guitar was more than a hobby or a part-time job. It was a release, an avenue for emotive lyrics, a connection to other people. Sitting in the emergency room that night, it felt as if all of that had been taken away.

Creativity and resilience are often born from diversity, and soon Brian found himself exploring tunings and rhythmic patterns that allowed him to play without using the injured finger. Soon, these alternate tunings and rhythms became more than just temporary; they became a signature sound that changed the way Brian wrote songs and differentiated his music from his friends and peers.

Mostly known for his live, solo-acoustic shows, Brian has just finished writing the songs for his sixth album.  Previous music is available on CD Baby, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, Pandora and many other streaming services.

…but I do like to interpret a song or two.  I’ll be honest; I’ve probably forgotten twice the number songs that I cover than I actually name here, but here is a list of artists whose songs that I have covered at recent shows off the top of my head:

Amos Lee, The Avett Brothers, Bastille, Bright Eyes, Dawes, Death Cab for Cutie, Frank Turner, Jason Isbell, John Moreland, The Killers, Monsters of Folk, Neutral Milk Hotel, Old 97’s, Panic at the Disco, Post Malone, Ray LaMontagne, The Struts

Alice in Chains, Barenaked Ladies, Ben Harper, Better than Ezra, Black Crows, Blues Traveller, Bush, Chumbawumba, Counting Crows, Dashboard Confessional Dave Matthews, Deep Blue Something, Duncan Sheik, Fastball, Flogging Molly, Garth Brooks, Gin Blossoms, Green Day, Hootie and the Blowfish, James, Live, Matchbox 20, Matthew Sweet, Oasis, Pearl Jam, Seven Mary Three, Smoking Popes, Snoop Dog/The Gourds, Social Distortion, Sugar, They Might Be Giants, Wheatus

Aha!, Crowded House, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Marvin Gaye, Men at Work, Modern English, New Order, The Outfield, Peter Gabriel, Poison, Prince, Ramones, REM, The Smiths, Tears for Fears, U2, Violent Femmes, Wham

The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Carole King, Frank Sinatra, Gloria Gaynor, Johnny Cash, John Prine, Peter Tosh, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson

Here’s a rundown of the gear I use

Guitars: Parkwood PW 360, Parkwood PW 370, Parkwood H2

Microphone: Blue Encore 200

Amplification: Fishman SA 330, Fishman Loudbox Artist, Fishman Loudbox Charge, JBL 610

Pedals: TC Electronic and Behringer

Mixers: Presonus AR8, Behringer X-Air 12

Strings: D’Addario Bluegrass, GHS White Bronze

Good news!  I’m a solo performer. That means I don’t need too much from a venue. For many shows, I just plug my mic and guitar into a PreSonus AR8 (to record myself and bluetooth for set breaks) and run that out to a Fishman SA 330 and/or a JBL 610.

In the case I need to plug-in, I will need a power supply and 2 XLR cables run from the system.  If I must exclusively use a location’s equipment, it’s a mic and a DI.