Mississippi Native: Andrew Bryant
"Somehow at the end of every tour, every road always led back to Mississippi. And it still does."
What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Today we hear from Oxford-based musician Andrew Bryant, whose newest album Prodigal will be released on November 3, 2023.
Where are you from?
I currently live and work in Oxford, MS, but I grew up about 30 miles south of here in Calhoun County.
How long have you lived in Mississippi?
I have been a resident of Mississippi my entire life.
What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition
The idea of “home” has always somewhat eluded me. I suppose I grew up thinking of home like most people: as merely the place you live, where you lay your head down, where your family comes from, etc. But as I’ve grown, my idea of home has broadened. I guess if I had to put it simply, home is the place your heart goes when you feel lost. For me, the two cannot exist without each other. Nature factors heavily into what makes me feel at home. So Mississippi fits into that first category, and the second, because I was born and raised and have lived here all my life. But there are other places that I’ve felt at home too, so that makes it confusing for me. I feel most at peace, or at home, sitting on a porch with my guitar, watching and listening to the birds, or driving on some uninhabited, winding backroad with the windows down, aimlessly wandering the long-ago-cut human trails hidden in the trees.
How have you cultivated community in Mississippi? Who are the people who have made you feel rooted here?
The first time I ever felt part of a community was when I first started playing music with other people. I started out playing music with other people in church, and that felt really good, but I didn’t completely feel like I belonged there, and I still don’t, because of all the rules about what you can and can’t say or do or believe in those spaces. So I started playing in rock bands in my late teens, and I started making friends and playing shows in other spaces, and it was in those spaces that I felt like I’d found “my people.” And to this day, I’ve not found a community that I feel more rooted in. So I try to keep that connection as much as I can. And there’s plenty of that in Mississippi. I think we live in the most musical state in the nation, albeit a little more off the beaten path, and virtually ignored in the mainstream.
We’ve always been told our place is dead last. 50th of 50. But for me, I think growing up here, and being told that over and over, it has put a chip on my shoulder that I’m always trying to knock off.
What’s the weirdest question or assumption you’ve encountered about Mississippi (or about you as a Mississippian) by someone who’s never been here?
Obviously, the way I talk has always given me problems outside of Mississippi. People assume you aren’t intelligent because of how you talk. But the weirdest thing I’ve encountered was when I first started touring outside of the South in the early 2000s, people in New York or Boston or California would ask me if I had really basic things like electricity and running water where I lived, some even asking if we used indoor toilets. And that was really strange to me, that there were people from my own country who thought of Mississippians as being stuck in some sort of time capsule, like we were some caricatures they’d seen on TV.
How has living in Mississippi affected your identity and your life’s path?
Wow, this is a good question. I’m about to spend some time thinking about this. I think my home state has affected my identity in lots of ways: my work ethic, my manners, my voice, my need for storytelling, and even my stubborn will. I think a lot of people who grow up here never take risks because the odds are so stacked against us. We’ve always been told our place is dead last. 50th of 50. But for me, I think growing up here, and being told that over and over, it has put a chip on my shoulder that I’m always trying to knock off.
Somehow at the end of every tour, every road always led back to Mississippi. And it still does. And I definitely feel a sense of duty now, because I know things can only get better here if the people who know this stick around.
What is something that you’ve learned about Mississippi only by living here?
For me, I think Mississippi has given me a unique perspective on America, and what it means to be an American. I’m a living descendant of the Europeans who colonized this land, enslaved African and Indigenous people, revolted against the government and fought a war with itself. I think a lot of people take this for granted, or maybe they don’t want to think about it, or think that it was such a long time ago that it's not who we are anymore, just some dark past to be forgotten. But I think any Mississippian who is willing to confront the past to better understand the present has a unique advantage here. Our state has a unique opportunity to be a leader in the movement for equality and justice, if we would only take it.
Do you ever consider moving away someday? Does a sense of duty keep you rooted here? Do you have a “tipping point”?
I’ve thought about moving away a lot. I think that started when I was about 16. I think that’s why I started touring so much with my music, because I felt that if I didn’t get out I would bust. But I think that’s lessened over time. Somehow at the end of every tour, every road always led back to Mississippi. And it still does. And I definitely feel a sense of duty now, because I know things can only get better here if the people who know this stick around. I’m not one to run from problems either, and never have been. Maybe that’s something Mississippi has given me too. But sure, I have a tipping point: another civil war, the collapse of government and society. If those things ever happen in my life, I’ll be buying a little place in another country and y'all won’t ever see me again.
What do you wish the rest of the country understood about Mississippi?
I wish people understood that almost all of the music they listen to originated from our state. Popular music as we know it today just simply would not exist if it wasn’t for the few blues singers who dared to sing their song.
I think any Mississippian who is willing to confront the past to better understand the present has a unique advantage here.
Do you have a favorite Mississippi writer, artist, or musician who you think everyone needs to know about?
My favorite Mississippi writer is probably Larry Brown. I especially like his personal essay collections On Fire and Billy Ray’s Farm. I love those books because they’re about folks that remind me of my people. And of course Faulkner. But my recent favorites are Kiese Laymon and Jesmyn Ward. Their books are haunting and beautiful and real. There are so many artists and musicians here. Some of my favorite visual artists are Blair Hobbs (Oxford, MS) and Jared Spears (Taylor, MS).
If you had one billion dollars to invest in Mississippi, how would you spend your money?
Education, healthcare, and environmental restoration. And if there was anything leftover, I’d try to find a way to promote musical tourism in the state more broadly. I think our musical heritage holds more global value than any other resource we have.
What or who do you want to shamelessly promote? (It can absolutely be a project you’re working on, or something you are involved in.)
I’d really love for everyone to check out my new album Prodigal. It’s my most autobiographical work to date. If you listen to one thing I’ve ever made, listen to that album.
Those three pre-release songs are hauntingly beautiful. The titles alone are evocative.
And the pronunciation of Mammaw is spot on. :)
The art work for the Prodigal record highlighted here is so beautiful. I can’t wait to hear this music!