LISTEN: Ethan Samuel Brown Shares ‘Rothko’

New album, Small Actors, out in January

November 20, 2024 Ron Hart 0 Comments Ethan Samuel Brown, Father John Misty, Futurebirds, Kentucky, Nashville, The Head and the Heart, Wilco, Wynonna Judd

Ethan Samuel Brown (Image: Lindsay Morgan)

Sometimes the most talented person in the room isn’t the artist, but rather one of the folks working in the background of the artist.

Such is the case of Ethan Samuel Brown, who by day serves as the stage manager for Wynonna Judd. However, behind the scenes, this Kentucky-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter is forging his own road down the sonic highway himself with a musical style that brings together Appalachian storytelling with the sound of such modern-day folk-rock heroes as Father John Misty, Futurebirds and the Head and the Heart.

Brown has an album coming up in early 2025 called Small Actors. Recorded at Nashville’s Club Roar and Vital Electric Studios, the album is, in fact, a fully realized theater production created by someone who has studied every nuance of the stage from the varied roles he’s undertaken throughout his career.

“I’ve spent countless hours in theaters,” Brown reveals. “The role of the Small Actors listener is in the metaphorical house of a theater. Listen closely for theater terminology throughout the album.”

Produced by Parker McAnally, the album features an assemblage of expert musicians to assist Brown in his creation, including Midland drummer John Wood, Parker Millsap’s bassist Michael Zimmerman and three-time Grammy-credited saxophonist Jovan Quallo. McAnally conducts this talented cast with the precision of a veteran theater director, creating an immersive sonic experience that captures every organic detail, from the squeak of a piano bench to the chirp of Tennessee cicadas.

Ethan Samuel Brown Small Actors, self-released 2025

Rock & Roll Globe is honored to offer listeners an early taste of Small Actors with the premiere of the single “Rothko,” based on an afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan.

“My fiancé, her mother, and I had traded the rain-covered sidewalks of the upper east side for the dry corridors of the gallery,” Brown explains. “A recent SCOTUS opinion was dominating headlines and contaminating my interpretation of each piece. Mark Rothko passed away in 1970 depressed and in financial ruin. His work has since become a favorite amongst the high bidders of the Manhattan Art Trade. Occasionally counterfeits make their way into these circles. I’ve always felt this inconvenience is a smite from Rothko’s ghost. Ultimately, this song is about undying resilience.

“‘Rothko’ was written on piano, which allowed me to get out of my own way so-to-speak,” he continues. “The rhythm section backs me as one cohesive power glam unit, a la Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie. The outro resolves into a soundscape like The Beatles ‘A Day In The Life’ or Wilco’s ‘I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.’

Listen to “Rothko” below and find out more about Mr. Brown and his impressive career thus far here.