_{Words By Madeline Harris
Cover Photo By Katie Andersen}

Susie Brown’s mission is to fill Utah’s music scene with the collaborative warmth and creative momentum she found living and working in Nashville. 

Originally from Utah, Brown picked up the fiddle at four, the mandolin at eight, and played in The Charlie Brown Family Band with all six of her siblings. She excelled at the fiddle, and though she had classical and orchestral experience, was always more drawn to the adrenaline of performing and playing with bands.

During her college years, she recalls “taking all the fun and cool electives – like woodworking – at UVU” because she was unsure the direction she’d be heading if not music. At the time, neither UVU or BYU could offer the type of music education she was hoping for. She did spend time, however, mingling and getting connected with BYU’s folk and bluegrass groups. 

Deciding to take folk more seriously, she was referred to take lessons with Gary Baker in Alabama, with whom her family got connected and made arrangements to go see.

“We drove out to Alabama to meet him and figured we’d just stop by Nashville on the way. And when I was there it was just this overwhelming feeling that this was where I needed to be.” Finishing up in Alabama, she headed home, grinded out the remainder of her woodworking credits, and only a month after falling for Nashville, she had packed up and moved.

Her early Nashville days involved meeting other musicians to play with and sometimes performing for publishers or at showcases for labels. Upon meeting guitarist and fellow vocalist Danelle Leverett (Nelly Joy/Gone West), the duo began performing together and gaining momentum before officially forming the JaneDear girls in 2004. Over the next several years, they spent nearly every day writing songs together, often in bursts of upwards of 12 hours. In 2010 they released one of Brown’s originals title “Wildflower” which reached #15 on the Country charts. Brown describes the experience as “surreal.” In 2010, the duo was signed to Warner Bros.

Brown talks about her touring days (across all states besides Hawaii) fondly and reminiscences on the soul and zest of Nashville. She acknowledges, though, that her priorities at some point shifted as the end of her Nashville chapter approached. In 2012, the JaneDear girls went different directions, and Brown decided to move back to Utah.

Adjusting to life here, Brown continued to look for opportunities for musical connection, but felt there to be a bit of a gap. She felt that Utah’s music scenes were sometimes missing the warmth, charm, and ease of collaboration that she had become accustomed to in Nashville.

“I kind of missed the magic of being there,” she notes. “It is so warm and welcoming and there is so much creativity and collaboration.” Brown began to brainstorm possible methods for remedying this gap. The result? Nashville in the Rockies.

Nashville in the Rockies is a community-oriented nonprofit dedicated to logistically creating the space and atmosphere for artists to get together. Brown hosts monthly songwriter jams and has since last March, and notes that attendees include Alex Boyé, Ryan Shupe, and local folk artist Samuel Charles. In the summer, Nashville in the Rockies also puts on what Brown calls “Nashville style backyard concerts” which are donation-based. Nashville in the Rockies also throws masterclasses with focuses such as songwriting, performing, and connecting with the audience through storytelling. Rich Redmond, one of Nashville’s top drummers, has taught with the organization. Per their official website, Redmond comments that the nonprofit makes it so “Utah residents can witness firsthand what makes Nashville such a vibrant and creative wellspring for the music industry.”

Integrating the spirit of Nashville into Utah’s music communities is yet another demonstration of the bridge constantly being built between Utah’s talent and the outside world. Brown proves to be continually dedicated to nourishing our local music ecosystem and we are grateful for her contributions! For anyone interested in connecting with local talent or taking classes from the top names in the industry, Nashville in the Rockies is something you can’t miss. Head to their website for schedules and more information.

Susie Brown continues to play shows locally, the schedule for which can be found on her website. Keep a look out for her at Riverton Town Days and Alpine Days this summer, and catch her at one of the upcoming Nashville in the Rockies jams.

Thanks for reading. Follow Susie Brown and Nashville in the Rockies on Instagram and be sure to check out “Wildflower” by the JaneDear girls below!