Brock Burton posted publicly Feb. 23 on Facebook: “It’s here…go check it out, Nowhere Town. It’s taken time to get these all recorded and edited but it’s all worth it. From stories about friends, myself, and the fading of Glendale[Kentucky] I hope y’all connect with it in some way. Thank you to everyone for the support. Up on all music platforms.”
Burton, a Central Hardin graduate of the 2022 class, went from playing Varsity Football to playing chords on his acoustic guitar, now entering the up-and-coming singer-songwriter sphere.
His seven-song album, spanning 28 minutes altogether, is his first official release and holds heartfelt meaning to the young aspiring artist.
“It was inspired from the Ford plant that, to every new person, is just a random place to do work; A nowhere town,” Burton said.
The name of this album was literal and reaches out to the deeply rooted residents of Glendale, KY who are having to adapt to the excessive addition of infrastructure and traffic that comes with a new manufacturing location. Burton passes vehicles with out-of-state license plates every day, reminding him that the future citizens of Glendale will no longer just be long-time friends and family.
“This place means nothing to them [newcomers] but means everything to us. So that’s what the album name represents; that we as a town are just another stop off for a random person to do work.”
Burton tells the story of this change and his own feelings towards it with a “country, folk, Americana sound.” He uses imagery and figurative language to paint a picture for his listeners through lines like “let me go back in time where the creek still runs” and “running on fumes of gasoline.” Burton said he would describe his overarching style as storytelling, focusing on conveying truthful tales of his life or friends in rural Kentucky. He wants to stay true to who he is and where he came from, for the people native to our community played a key role in the process of creating and releasing Nowhere Town.
“I got really interested [in creating music of my own] after I attended a music festival called Railbird. It was awesome to see and witness it,” Burton recounted. “I had been playing with friends and they told me to start putting myself out there more. So me and Will Reynolds, who also went to Central [2022 graduate], started putting videos out and it’s all kind of gone from there.”
Other fellow Central students and alumni with a common interest in music like senior Alex Hack and 2022 graduate Reece Sherrard influenced Burton’s creative process of writing, fine-tuning, and streaming publicly.
Big time artists such as Waylon Jennings have been a part of Burton’s life since he was young, filling his ears and shaping his taste into the masterful mix it is today.
Down the line, Burton would love to pursue a professional career in music if given the opportunity, though he understands the difficulty it is to gain traction in the industry. The support and guidance from his friends, family, and local artists make all the difference. Positive feedback and constructive criticism are keeping Burton’s dream alive, driving him forward to make it big.
“I’ve thought about moving to Lexington because there is a great music scene there and that’s what some of the guys I look up to have done,” Burton explained. “But we’ll see. I’m having fun here and the music is really just starting to take off… I would like to go down the path of being a full time musician if I was blessed to be able to do so.”
From a glance on Google, Burton is on the up and up as a young artist, catching the attention of online organizations such as on AppalachiaUntold, a Youtube channel “highlighting original music across Appalachia, including Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Americana, and more.” Burton guest starred on the channel this past February, singing “Nowhere Town” with a southern soulful sound.
Burton was also posted on Community Music Alliance on Facebook with host Michael Logsdon, who presented a live music performance and chatted with Burton. There is no doubt that this young man holds great talent and immense potential and as time goes on, he is catching those in the industry’s eye.
So Bruins, if you like Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan, or artists in the country, folk, and Americana genre, I encourage you to give Burton and his new album, Nowhere Town, a listen. The topics he writes about are close-to-home and relevant to the people of Glendale and those nearby. It is a reminder of the impact that expansion has on a home that has remained constant and sacred to so many. As someone who is not directly affected by the new Ford plant, I empathize with Burton and his friends, family, neighbors, and all the businesses who live in fear of what is yet to come. Change is inevitable, but that does not make it easy.
On behalf of the Central Hardin community, Burton, we are so proud of you for having the courage to pursue a career in music and pushing to make this dream a reality! We listen with teary eyes and nostalgic hearts, foreseeing a bright future of wonderful works of melody and lyric. We cherish the odes to our small towns here in Hardin County and the surrounding areas. You have helped so many feel seen, and we hope that in exchange, you feel heard.
You can find Burton’s new album on Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, and iHeartRadio!
Terry Butler • Mar 6, 2024 at 8:28 pm
I absolutely love his songs!❤️