Brendan Cleary
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Brendan Cleary is a New Jersey-born guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter whose music draws deeply from the American roots tradition. A Berklee College of Music alumnus, Brendan found his artistic voice through songwriting, influenced by the rich textures of folk, blues, and country. After leaving college, Brendan relocated to Nashville, where years of playing nightly on the city’s famed Broadway strip sharpened his live presence and helped shape his distinctive guitar style—an energetic mix of acoustic fingerstyle blues and traditional folk.
His right-hand rhythm brings a steady, percussive drive to his playing, while his voice—a resonant tenor with a touch of grit—delivers lyrics that tell stories of love, loss, and redemption. Songs like “Liquor Boy,” “Olivia,” and “Soundbox” reflect a lived-in truth, informed by Brendan’s personal journey through recovery and renewal. His music holds the emotional weight of experience, echoing the raw storytelling tradition of influences like Tom Waits, Gillian Welch, Jason Isbell, and Chris Smither.
Brendan has had the honor of sharing a stage with the legendary Tom Rush, and has appeared regularly on Rush’s Rockport Sundays video podcast. A 2024 finalist in the NH Music Collective Singer-Songwriter Competition, he continues to share songs that resonate with deep feeling and soulful authenticity.
Cleary’s music is a balm—timeless, heartfelt, and steeped in American tradition. With each performance, he invites listeners into stories that feel both personal and universal.
