According to Wylie alumna Brittany Bishop she knew she wanted to sing from a young age thanks to the country legends her mom Shannon, wife of Wylie football head coach Clay Martin, played as she rocked her to sleep at night. Bishop picked up a guitar at 14 years of age and started performing at 16. From that point until graduating from Wylie in 2015, Bishop hit the stage across West Texas performing at venues that billed artists like Cody Jinks, The Charlie Daniels Band, Jamey Johnson, and Leon Russell.
This past June, Bishop brought her talent and heart for country music back to Abilene. She played at local spots Mulligan’s and Potosi Live, and Crane’s Craft BBQ at the Wagon Wheel in Tye before heading to Wichita Falls and Dallas.
Living in Nashville since graduation, Bishop has been making her way on the country music scene playing regularly at Nashville digs such as The Underdog and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Broadway. Heading home to perform this summer, Bishop said she looked forward to the slower pace West Texas inspires.
“Coming directly off playing the Country Music Awards Festival and several other shows…we were extremely excited to take that momentum and bring it to Texas…such fast-paced shows really gave me an appreciation for being able to strip down my songs and give a different kind of performance,” said Bishop.
Bishop says she loves the story-telling aspect of singing and performing in Abilene allowed her to dive into this.
“My favorite part is being able to tell the story behind a song and communicating exactly what I was feeling when I wrote it. This was the perfect opportunity to slow down and be able share that with the crowd,” she said. “I love Nashville, don’t get me wrong, but there’s such a palpable energy performing in Texas. People love music with a passion and have such an appreciation for it, which makes it so much fun for us.”
Bishop’s band – the Brittany Bishop Band – has teamed up with Grammy-nominated producer Bobby Holland to create their debut record Shadow of the Valley, which will showcase Bishop’s soulful sound. Be on the lookout for that in the upcoming months.
By Kristen Johnson