Downloadable Press Kit:
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Quotes | Bio | Photos

He Said, She Said....about me:

“Connecticut songwriter Kevin Briody is cut from the honest, artful cloth of the best Yankee ballad-writers. His narrative songs are personal yet cinematic, filled with vivid, pastoral imagery and useful wisdom. He seems to earn new fans and folk-biz boosters wherever his songs travel”
Scott Alarik, Boston Globe, Newport Folk Festival

Kevin Briody is a great artist. Sometimes I have to be hit over the head with a two-by-four to pay attention to a certain song and get what it’s talking about – and that was certainly the case with Walnuts & Rice.”
Pete Fornatale, WFUV’s “Mixed Bag”

“This was one terrific discovery. He’s a hellacious storyteller - a top-drawer troubadour with an earnest, heart-filled folkie delivery. Seek this CD out and fall under its spell.”
Robert K. Oermann, MusicRow Magazine

“Simply wonderful!”
Rod Kennedy, Kerrville Folk Festival

“Briody is a poignant storyteller…His songs penetrate by demonstrating a wisdom about life that can only be derived from achieving a critical distance from human emotions.”
Connecticut State Senator Bill Aniskovich

“Briody is an extraordinary artist whose songs examine life’s themes of love and family. His stirring performances, his incisive songwriting and his dedication are exactly the qualities that the State Troubadour position was created to recognize.”
John Ostrout, Connecticut Commission on the Arts

“Watching Briody call in his listeners’ attention…and then leading them on a journey of discovery through his songs, is really quite beautiful.”
J.G. “Paw-paw” Pinkerton, Founder of Tellebrations

“Kevin Briody follows in the path blazed by the John Gorkas and Richard Shindells of the folk world who let their songs do the talking for them, devoid of flash or fanfare.”
Mike Agranoff, Minstrel Coffeehouse

 “Briody is a storyteller with a guitar.”
Robert Hicks, Daily Record

“ He incorporates the drama and the mundane aspects of life into musical allegory that beckons, captivates and lingers.” 
Folk Next Door IX

 “If a cd is digital, then this track has a virus in the name of Track 16, as I have been infected and want more.”
Tony Nightingale, Gravity F.M. Radio in England on hearing “Four Dollar Frame” on Oasis Sampler #26

  “Kevin’s performance at the Twelfth Note Coffeehouse was spirited and engaging.  His stories, songs and humor created an evening of shared laughter and camaraderie with the audience.  He quickly became friends with young and old in the audience through his wit, stories, laughter and honest songs from the heart.”
Myra Healy, Twelfth Note Coffeehouse

 “What I heard of Kevin's absolutely stood out from among the legions of guitar-slinging NERFA songwriters, and confirmed all the good things I'd heard about him over the years.”
Scott Sheldon, Watchung Arts Center

 “His themes are close to the core.  His songs are carefully crafted…Briody’s music resonates with the down-home flavor of John Denver’s music and the honesty of Billy Joel’s lyrics.”
Joanne Greco Rochman, The Waterbury Republican-American

 
“…as though you were listening to a Raymond Carver short story set to music.”
Programming Magazine

 “I’m not much of a folk guy, but not only is he fun, he’s a solid storyteller, too.  He’s good enough to have been a finalist at the Kerrville Folk Festival in ’97 and ’98, and this effort just bears out the judges’ decisions.”
Fran Fried, New Haven Register

 “ Kevin has a wonderful future ahead of him.  He is proficient at what he does and from my standpoint he adds a warmth to any show.” 
Cynthia DuJack, Charles Ives Center

“His voice is - with hints of James Taylor and Randy Travis - a comfortable sound that remains in your head long after the song ends.” 
Shannon Hicks, Newtown Bee

 “…unashamedly sensitive slice-of-life tunes.” 
Thomas Kintner, Hartford Courant

“Kevin handled a rainbow of ages and abilities, emphasizing the importance of working on his craft and the use of inspiration in his songs.”
Lynn Goldberg, Westport Library



 Reviews of When No One’s Watching:

“ ‘When No One’s Watching’ is a well-written evenly polished piece of work.  That’s why the record is successful; it tells little stories that can be applied to many situations. That’s the strength of Briody, a balance of accessible lyrics and pretty music.  If Briody was a cook, he’d always add just the right amount of spice.”
Stephen Krcmar, The News-Times

“Kevin has been quietly building a catalogue of deeply emotive, well crafted songs.  Like others before him (John Lennon and John Hiatt come to mind), he focuses hard on the faith and commitment that forge love’s strongest bonds.  He explores the sacred ties of friendship, considers love’s depth when the flame wanes, and surveys the damage when love crumbles.” 
Grammy Award Nominee, Dave Perry, Lowell Sun

“Briody’s work has a spareness that is refreshing in this day of over-produced, over-electric music.  This collection digs deep into themes of love, family and everyday incidents that take on a broader meaning with the passage of time.” 
Dave Brown, The Scene

“With a soothing tone and a distinctive flow, Kevin Briody features a lyrical dynamic that welcomes the listener with an inviting warmth.”
Flash, The Wallflower Gallery

“An uncluttered and direct collection of songs written about real life and real people”
Dirty Linen


Reviews of Familiar

“Like loving the loose banister in It’s A Wonderful Life, Briody cherishes it all: the mess, diapers, and compromised plans.  Here’s a warm album filled with stories of loving family growth.”
Angela Page, Sing Out!

“A fine collection of well-crafted songs, with pitch-perfect lyrics about many aspects of family life,  ‘Familiar’ should be played over and over again, until the songs feel like they are being sung about your family.”
David Brown, The Scene

“The album’s songs deal with life’s themes of love, family and how everyday events define the meaning of our lives…Briody manages to capture in focused, condensed images the ever-changing contour of parent/child relationships.”
Gary Stanek, Greenwich Times

  “Beautiful song!”
Christine Lavin on “The Favor”

“I love thematic connections, and this album is a prime example of how well the concept can work.”
Bob Sherman, The New York Times and WFUV


Bio:

“Connecticut songwriter Kevin Briody is cut from the honest, artful cloth of the best Yankee ballad-writers. His narrative songs are personal yet cinematic, filled with vivid, pastoral imagery and useful wisdom. He seems to earn new fans and folk-biz boosters wherever his songs travel”
Scott Alarik, Boston Globe, Newport Folk Festival

 Briody’s unique songs and moving stories may feel as comfortable as a summer day on a front porch, but they've taken him to some of the most hallowed corners of the songwriting world.  Briody is a three-time finalist in the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Contest (1997, 1998, 2003), and he showcased at the 1999 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.  His compelling "We're All Heroes" opened the 1999 Connecticut Special Olympic Summer Games.  In 2001 he won the South Florida Folk Festival National Songwriting Competition.  In 2002 Cure Autism Now (CAN), a national organization combating the disease, released his song “Bring Them Back”.  From 2000-2002 Briody served as Connecticut’s Official State Troubadour; a position created by The State General Assembly to recognize Connecticut’s Songwriter Laureate.  He has also been chosen as a Connecticut Commission on the Art’s Master Teaching Artist; teaching songwriting workshops and residencies to children and adults alike.  In 2003 Briody joined the stage with Lyle Lovett, Aimee Mann and Ani DiFranco at The Newport Folk Festival, and has performed The National Anthem three times at Fenway Park during Boston Red Sox games.  Most recently, he penned a song "My Little Star" which was featured in ABC Television's One Life To Live.

 Briody’s critically acclaimed debut CD, "When No One's Watching", was released in 1999.  Robert K. Oermann of Music Row Magazine selected it as his DISCovery Award. 

 "This was one terrific discovery.  He’s a  storyteller.  A top-drawer troubadour with an earnest, heart-filled folkie delivery.  Seek this CD out and fall under its spell.”  Robert K. Oermann, MusicRow

In 2001, with the help of an Artist Fellowship Grant he received from The National Endowment for the Arts and The Connecticut Commission on the Arts, Briody released his second CD entitled “Familiar”.

“Like loving the loose banister in It’s A Wonderful Life, Briody cherishes it all: the mess, diapers, and compromised plans.  Here’s a warm album filled with stories of loving  family growth.”

Angela Page, Sing Out!


 The list of rooms -- and in some cases ranches -- Briody has worked is a veritable "Where's Where of American Folk Venues": The Kennedy Center (Washington, DC), The Newport Folk Festival (Newport, RI), Fenway Park (Boston, MA), The Kerrville Folk Festival (Kerrville, TX), The Bluebird Cafe (Nashville, TN), The Bitter End (New York, NY), Club Passim (Boston, MA), and The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (Hillsdale, NY).

 The diverse list of artists with whom Briody has shared the stage is equally impressive:  Susan Werner, Don McLean, Bill Morrissey, Trisha Yearwood, Dar Williams, The Kingston Trio, John Gorka, Greg Brown, Ellis Paul, Smokey Robinson, Cheryl Wheeler, Art Garfunkel, Loudon Wainwright III, Patty Larkin, Patty Loveless, Tish Hinojosa, Livingston Taylor, Vance Gilbert, The Nields, Janis Ian, Kenny Loggins, and Tom Paxton.


Photos:

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Kevin Briody Kevin Briody