BILLY BRANDT AND SARANA VERLIN

BILLY BRANDT AND SARANA VERLIN

Detroit Music Awards winners – Billy Brandt & Sarana VerLin

On paper, Brandt & VerLin shouldn’t work at all. Sarana VerLin grew up on playing classical violin, then went on to 80s rock bands. Billy Brandt grew up with American folk music, then went on to country. Together, however, the singer-guitarist duo has such an uncanny chemistry that they have been mistaken for a couple. Their musical chemistry is based around their entwining voices and instrumental arrangements.

These are two of Detroit’s most talented and decorated musicians, having won numerous Detroit Music Awards over the years in acoustic, folk, country, and rock categories. Taking music across the ocean and back, they blend elements of Celtic and Americana roots in what they like to call ‘Celticana’. Their style explores the boundaries of Folk, Rock, Alt-Country, Celtic and Americana. And where these lines blur is where they thrive!

Billy Brandt (www.billybrandt.com)
Brandt has shared the stage with such icons as Pat Benetar and Jethro Tull, and worked on tour with 38 Special. He’s the winner of multiple Detroit Music Awards including Acoustic Vocalist, Acoustic/Folk Artist, Instrumentalist, Country Songwriter, and Recording, as well as almost two dozen additional DMA nominations with other bands. Influenced by the likes of Gram Parsons to the Grateful Dead, Billy Brandt has molded his sound by creating his own unique guitar picking that creates a haunting melody which stays with the listener long after the song is over. Playing over 300 gigs a year has earned him the title of one of Detroit’s hardest working artists.

Sarana VerLin (www.saranaverlin.com)
VerLin started writing and playing at the age of 10 and was performing internationally at the age of 12 on violin. She’s honed her skills with over a decade of gigs in the UK, USA and Canada. With seven studio albums and appearing on twice as many more recordings, she’s worked with Grammy award winners Don Was (everyone from Elton John to Rolling Stones) & Steven King (Eminem), and producer Ben Grosse (Debbie Harry). Winner for Best New Artist, Recording, Instrumentalist, and Acoustic/Folk artist, she’s in the Detroit Metro Times Music Hall of Fame alongside prestigious artists such as Aretha Franklin and Patti Smith.