Brett Dennen plus Angel Taylor

As a young adult, Brett was a Community Studies major at UC Santa Cruz. After graduation he met a visionary woman with an ear for raw talent. Her gift for getting people to listen and share her excitement about his music, were a perfect incubator for his unique voice & insightful songs. Their work together would change his life.

Brett started working with Leslie Merical in December 2002. She encouraged him to pursue music seriously and made sure he wasn't slowed by the challenges most new artists face. Inspired by the good in his lyrics and the reaction to his songs, Merical started by convincing promoters at venues to give him a chance to play, despite his inexperience. She connected with his fans at every show and made them feel like they were part of something wonderful while guiding him along the path most artists have to travel alone.

For fun, she invited him into her studio to record a few of his songs in December of 2002, and as they worked, she became convinced she could turn the songs into an album and help him get his music to a global audience. The result was Brett's self-titled debut, which they released on her Three Angels & A Saint label in late 2003. Although the album was initially meant for less public ears, it became obvious to Merical that people wanted to hear the magical, lo-fi recordings and were moved by the songs. Almost immediately, she found connections to KCRW DJ Chris Douridas, who spun the unknown artist's glorified demo on Valentine's Day 2004. It was a big break for Brett and Merical, and an encouraging sign they were on to something and on the right path!