Ethan Samuel Brown, Shelly Archer, Amanda On The Moon

Ethan Samuel Brown’s upcoming album Small Actors is an auditory playhouse where each track serves as a distinct scene in an unfolding American drama. Brown, a singer-songwriter from the coal-dusted hills of Kentucky, has spent a decade in Nashville wearing the hats of musician, concert promoter, talent buyer, audio engineer, and his latest gig, stage manager for Wynona Judd. Now, it’s his turn to step into the spotlight as the auteur of his own sonic production.

Brown’s sound defies easy categorization, landing somewhere between the introspective folk-rock of Christian Lee Hutson and the piano-driven pop sensibilities of Ben Folds. This unique blend allows him to navigate seamlessly between intimate acoustic moments, Americana-flavored songs, and more expansive, orchestrated arrangements throughout Small Actors.

“I’ve been chronically on tour in various roles for years. I’ve spent countless hours in theaters,” Brown reveals. “Conceptually, the role of the Small Actors listener is in the metaphorical house of a theater. Listen closely for theater terminology throughout the album.”

The first single, “Am I American?” is a pointed soliloquy questioning the nature of patriotism. Penned in the wake of Nashville’s 2020 Christmas Day bombing, Brown’s lyrics cut through the noise of talk radio rhetoric: “I’ll buy eternity / I’m Suburban, Safe, Irate / In a church pew / Come every Sunday Morning / Until I reach the pearly gate.” The song challenges listeners to examine their own definitions of citizenship and belonging.

The second release, “Rothko,” is a song born from a rain-soaked afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Brown’s lyrics paint a vivid scene: “Faye left her lip print / on my glass of Bordeaux / Then she took me / To the metro gallery.” The track’s open-ended structure mimics the eternal interpretation of abstract art, leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions.

The final single, “Being Blue,” is a bittersweet reflection on letting go. Jules Belmont’s guitar solo wails like a distant train whistle, while a field recording of Tennessee cicadas provides a chirping Greek chorus. “I wanted to simulate having an evening whiskey on a front porch swing,” Brown explains, setting a scene familiar to many a Southern night.

Recorded at Club Roar and Vital Electric Studios in Nashville, Small Actors boasts a cast of ten musicians whose collective resume reads like a Who’s Who of modern Americana. Producer Parker McAnally conducts this ensemble with a deft hand, allowing each instrument to shine without overshadowing Brown’s narrative voice. Some highlights of the stellar backing band include Midland drummer John Wood, Parker Millsap’s bass player Michael Zimmerman, string arrangements by Jen Starsinic, Austin Hoke on cello, Lydia Warren on harp, organ, and Wurlitzer, and 3x Grammy credited Saxophonist/Horn Arranger Jovan Quallo.

Brown’s approach to capturing sound seems to border on the obsessive. “We used omnidirectional mics and occasional ribbon mics on the various acoustic instruments,” he notes. This attention to sonic detail creates an immersive experience, from the crackle of an AM radio in “Nickle and Dimed” to the muted thump of a sustain pedal throughout the album.

As the final notes of the final song “Tomorrow in Mind” fade out, listeners are left to contemplate their role in Brown’s theater. “I hope the overall message of Small Actors resonates with any artist struggling with their place in the world,” he muses. “I’ve stood sidestage in arenas and felt less from the performance than I did listening to the piano player in the hotel bar later that evening. Do the work. It’s important.”

Small Actors is a testament to Brown’s growth since his 2017 debut, The Outset Lament. His delicate guitar work and sharp lyrical wit have drawn comparisons to James Taylor and Leonard Cohen, but Brown’s voice remains distinctly his own – a blend of Appalachian grit and Nashville polish. It promises to be a production that lingers in the mind long after the house lights come up.

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