Brandyn Burnette

Born in Boca Raton, Florida, Brandyn Burnette grew up immersed in the sounds of his father, the Capitol Records R&B vocalist O’Bryan whose 1980s Billboard hit “The Gigolo” shaped the household. Piano lessons began at seven, followed at thirteen by a switch to guitar and the first attempts at songwriting that fused soul with pop in a style Burnette himself likened to the generation then emerging around Jason Mraz and Bruno Mars.

A full scholarship brought him to New York University for studies in musical theater and acting; by arrival he already carried a catalogue of roughly eighty originals. Campus performances and dorm-room recordings soon circulated, landing in the hands of manager Ric Aliberte, who placed him with Sony/ATV’s Swedish publishing division. Steady club dates and collaborations with established writers and producers followed. Warner Bros. signed him and slated the 2014 mixtape The Couch Surfing Chronicles for release, yet the project—fronted by the radio track “Thanks for Nothing”—was ultimately shelved, prompting his departure from the roster.

Subsequent road work included support slots for John Mayer and James Bay, while outside cuts for MKTO, Jake Miller, and Charlie Puth began to surface. His first proper EP, Made of Dreams, appeared at the close of 2015; twelve months later came State I’m In, titled after its lead single. In 2016 Burnette also launched the duo Cosmos & Creature alongside indie artist Molly Moore, whose debut track “Young” quickly amassed wide streaming numbers. Early the following year he issued the solo EP Feature Films and two additional Cosmos & Creature singles.