Laura Bryna

“We were sitting waiting for it, and when it came on, we were crying, jumping and screaming.”

No, that’s not a description of my last few Fridays spent watching Stuart Clark’s interviews on Virgin Media’s Uprising, they’re the words of country-pop sensation Laura Byrna. Popping by Hot Press HQ whilst in the country getting in touch with her Irish roots, she’s discussing her reaction upon seeing her face on the iconic neon facades of New York City.

Growing up a “cashew” (her affectionate label for being Jewish/Catholic), in what she describes as a “one horse town” in Maryland, Bryna has come far since charging her parents 50c to watch her perform home concerts as a child.

“We thought we were really great,” she laughs. “I was the lead singer, and my sisters were my back-up dancers. We were singing the Shirelles, Frankie Valli and Elvis. I would never have dreamt of a billboard in Times Square.”

Carving out a career for herself with an unapologetically dynamic sound, she’s also been unafraid to ruffle a few feathers.

“You’ve got traditionalists, but things are always evolving, and no one really listens to one genre anymore,” says Bryna of her modern songwriting. “I’ve got the blues and I’ve got the rock in there too. I love sassy. I love edge. I love in-your-face, a little F-you.”

This mindset has been vital in traversing landscapes where women like Bryna are often up against it.

“I’m proud to be a female, to take on the challenge of getting our music out there in a male dominated world,” she says. “Being in the spotlight, you get a lot of crap. I get comments like, ‘Why does she have to sound like that?’ and ‘Why can’t she be nice and demure?’

“In life, we have to be authentic. Because people know when you’re not. It also takes a lot of effort to be fake. Who the fuck wants to do that?”

Speaking of empowering women in the country scene, some have drawn parallels between Bryna and The Queen of Nashville herself – even dubbing her the ‘Brunette Dolly Parton’.

“Now, my tits are real. I will have to say that,” she quips. “Honestly, it’s a huge compliment to be compared to a massive icon. If I could have half the career she’s had, then I’m doing okay. She’s a seriously talented entertainer, but she also has a heart of gold. She helps those less fortunate and knows where she came from.”

Bryna’s authenticity similarly extends beyond the stage – evident in her unwavering work with charities such as Musicians On Call and Homes For Our Troops – a non-profit that provides specially adapted custom homes for injured US veterans.

“I love what those men and women do for my country to allow us to live in freedom,” she professes. “I went to a VA hospital in Nashville to sing for the patients. Every audience is amazing, but they were incredible. I always say, if you touch one person, then you’ve done your job as an artist. To be there with a wounded soldier and they’re singing my song back, it makes me emotional.”

This philanthropic streak was rooted in her upbringing, Bryna informs.

“Each Christmas my parents would find a student in our class who was less fortunate. We would secretly find out everything about them and buy or make gifts, which we would then leave on their porch and run off. They never found out it was us. To me, that’s what it’s all about. I believe in giving back.”

Laura also staunchly believes in being a 24/7 learner. She’s rubbed shoulders with some industry titans in Nashville, sharing the stage with Taylor Swift, as well as working alongside esteemed Grammy-winning writers like Damon Sharpe.

What does the signer take from being constantly surrounded by Music City’s endless swathes of talent?

“I’ve learned so much by watching each artist create that magic over and over again, night after night,” Bryna reveals. “It’s like they’ve never performed before, they give every audience member that magic moment – whether they’re in the nosebleeds or at the front. When you’re true to who you are, you have a fan for life.” - Hot Press

Pop - country powerhouse Laura Bryna isn't going to be second fiddle. Her latest single Jawbreaker is the perfect power anthem, sassy and a little bad assey.

From the jump the country songstress lays down the rules for her playboy suitor.

I missed your name but save it I'll be honest/'Cause you earned a reputation in this town. Between a twangy beat and a smooth tone, Laura sings about the painfully relatable situation we am sure we have all found ourselves in at some point.

Oozing with self confidence, Jawbreaker is a creative take on theme that can often get a tad mundane. Jawbreaker seems to have a double meaning, meaning that Laura won't be put in a box in any facet of her life. Ain't no breakin'/ me I'm a real tough one to crack sets up the catchy chorus driven by a southern guitar.

To accompany the sassy tune is an equally sassy music video. The Moulin Rouge meets Texas honky tonk vibe from the video perfectly matches and adds to the anthem she sings.

Stong, bold and brassy, Jawbreaker is a career maker for Laura. It's fun storyline and unique lyrics will take this songstress to new heights. - All Country News

NASHVILLE, TENN. — Today, Country powerhouse Laura Bryna returns with her tough-talking and sultry new single “Certified.” A raw and rowdy anthem for rebellious women everywhere, “Certified” follows the smash success of her breakout single “Jawbreaker” and further spotlights Bryna’s ravishing vocals and wildly radiant confidence. Listen to “Certified” here.

Co-written by Bryna with Josh Logan and Kenny Fleetwood (H. Kenneth), “Certified” is a full-tilt Country banger offering up a red-hot warning to any man who might dare to cross her path (from the chorus: “I’m a wild ride/Little snake bite/I’m a bonafide, do or die/I’m a stick of dynamite…If you want crazy/I’m certified”). As she lights up every moment with her take-no-prisoners attitude, Bryna proves she’s utterly unafraid to outshine the object of her attention (“You think you’re as bad as Johnny, walking that line/And those snakeskin boots are cute but got nothin’ on mine”).

“‘Certified’ is a sassy, ass-kickin’ country rocker of a song with a repetitive stomp/clap rhythm that makes it hard to forget,” says Bryna. “When I sat down with Josh and Kenny to write this song, we knew we wanted something uptempo that was in-your-face with lots of attitude. It’s all about one-upmanship – I’m sure that, like myself, plenty of women have met guys who think they’re ‘all that.’ I wanted an anthem for my ladies that says: ‘You think you’re a 10? Well, honey, I’m an 11!’”

Produced by NCKZN, “Certified” echoes the freewheeling spirit of Bryna’s storytelling with an explosive sound that never lets up in intensity. With equal parts timeless musicianship and modern ingenuity, the track rumbles forward on a pulse-pounding stomp-and-clap beat, setting her scorching vocals against a backdrop of gritty guitar work, twangy banjo riffs, smoldering bass grooves, and more. Reaching a glorious peak at its arena-ready bridge, “Certified” ultimately doubles down on Bryna’s mission of empowering people from all walks of life to strut their stuff with no apology.

With more new music on the way, Bryna kicked off a bold new era of her career with the release of “Jawbreaker” in fall 2022. Hailed as “the perfect new power anthem” by All Country News, the larger-than-life track climbed to #54 on the Country Indicator Chart while its accompanying music video racked up over 2 MILLION views on YouTube. Released in June, “Jawbreaker (Coppermines Remix)” also cemented Bryna’s status as a formidable force in the Dance world. - The Country Note

US country singer Laura Bryna chatted to RTÉ.ie's Audrey Donohue during a recent trip to Ireland.

She’s been dubbed a brunette Dolly Parton, with her 2022 Christmas hit Wishlist amassing over 1.8 million streams and making it into the Billboard Top 30. She has shared the stage with the likes of Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, as well as opening for Emmylou Harris – but all Maryland’s Laura Bryna wants to talk about is kissing the Blarney Stone.

"When in Rome, you gotta kiss the Blarney Stone!" she laughs. "So now I guess I have more of a gift of the gab now. Everybody was like, 'You don't need to do this!’"

The vivacious country singer, who has been plying her trade in Nashville and LA for over 20 years, has strong Irish roots on her mother’s side – with her great-grandfather Jack Cummings leaving Cork to emigrate Stateside many moons ago.

It’s curiosity about her background, spurred on by her ageing grandmother, that has brought her to our shores.

"I am here to find my roots," she states. "I have been coming to Ireland for so long. I was talking my grandmother and she's just very proud of her Irish roots. She's 95. There's a little bit of dementia. She’s very punchy, very feisty, lots of personality. It was her father who emigrated from Ireland.

"I'm starting to get bits and pieces from her more and more about where we come from. There are times that she'll say things like 'I want to go home’, and she means to Ireland. She's in an assisted living place and she'll say, ‘I saw my mother the other day’, when she’s actually passed away many years ago."

"I thought, you know what? I need to go do this," adding, "And I want to spread my music. I want to share it with everybody. Plus, I love being influenced by everybody here. I really would love to collaborate with some Irish artists - you have so many greats. There's a country music influence here that's come over to the States, so it works both ways."

She says she heard Erica Cody on the radio and says, "I love her. I heard an interview with her - she's hilarious. She’s fiesty and punchy and I’m like, ‘Honey, I'm game to write with you if you want to!’"

"I’m obviously a huge fan of Nathan Carter and Gavin James – love his voice. He can sing the phone book and I’m alright with that!"

She’s been thrilled with people reaching out to her during her trip, all wanting to help her find her relatives.

"I love that. Everybody is wanting to help in any way that they can. We are going to probably look into the EPIC Museum as well. There was a historian, I think, that reached out to Red FM, the radio station in Cork that I was on - people have been calling in. It's so wonderful. I know you got all these crazy Americans trying to find where they're from!"

She now likes to drop the word "craic" into conversation where she can. "Although it sounds different when I say craic! It just doesn't sound right with my accent."

She labels herself a "cashew" as she has both Catholic and Jewish heritage. Her father's side of the family hail from Russia and Poland.

But let’s talk music. She shares that her love of country music stems from a traumatic family situation she experienced as a child.

"Country music is about, you know, real life. For me, how it all came about was when my brother was in the hospital [as a child].

"I'm from a really small town in Maryland. My mom and I would drive from the middle of nowhere to Washington every day because my brother had suffered a brain aneurysm.

"Being in the country and driving on major highways and whatnot and country roads, it was a long trip, maybe an hour and a half each way everyday, and we would listen to country music on the way."

She continues, "Country music talks about the good things and bad things - celebrating life, all the different kinds of milestones that people are going through. And when you're going through something horrible in your life, you want to look for something, anything, a sign - something positive that will bring you some sort of happiness or something to look forward to at the end of the tunnel. And so country music was that for us."

Around this time she got involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who had offered to make a wish a come true for her brother.

"That's actually how my whole music career kind of started. My brother was laying in a hospital bed having to learn how to eat, talk and walk, because he had suffered a brain aneurysm and then went into a coma for six-and-a-half months."

"During that time, the doctors kept telling my mom, you know, he's not going to make it."

As he began to recover, he turned down Make-A-Wish’s offer of granting him a wish, because he felt other children needed it more.

The foundation's ethos made a big impact on her though and she wanted to help. She recalls, "I volunteered and got to help grant wishes too. Then I wrote a song for them to help with fundraising. You write about things that you experienced.

"Now my brother's alive and well and doing great - he's got two kids, a great wife," she smiles, acknowledging that this song started her on a path to a life in country music.

Did she have a natural country voice or did she have to learn the style? "I think it's a little bit of everything - all of the above.

"I think growing up in the country and living that country way of life... where I'm from in Maryland, there's green grass, people are driving big trucks. We had goats and ducks and sheep and donkeys and llamas and chickens. We had all that growing up.

"It's interesting because I split my life between Los Angeles and Nashville, but have always been on the road and in the airport. I get to see the best of both worlds. Los Angeles has kind of got that idealistic..." she trails off, as she describes the two very different faces of country music in America. "You've got the bright lights, you've got cars, you've got restaurants and fashion - and then, you know, I'm from Maryland - the opposite of all that - that's country too."

Growing up, she took part in musical theatre and credits one "great teacher who always said, ‘Laura, I want you to be prepared for any opportunity that comes your way. I want you to stay up all night and learn the part, learn the dance, learn the song, whatever it may be. I never want you to say no to an opportunity,’ and that's kind of been something I've lived by."

Bryna says she has always had "tunnel vision" with her dream of making music, which led her to packing up her bags as a teenager with her dad and moving to Nashville.

"People would say, what was your Plan B? And I'm like, ‘There isn’t one’," she says. "It was what I had to do. The whole Mecca of country music was in Nashville and I was like, ‘Daddy, I have to go’."

Is it tough though, to break through, when so many people have the same dream?

"It is," she says, but claims it’s a more welcoming and collaborative place than people might think. "It’s exciting. Is it scary? Sure. It's absolutely scary. But you know what? You gotta do it because you love it. You can sleep when you're dead."

"I've sung it all different kinds of venues. I've been in arenas, stadiums, I've done coffee shops. I've done all different kinds of things and it's just creating that connection with your audience."

One of these stages she shared with megastar Taylor Swift many years ago. "I haven't spoken with her in a while, but we've done some shows together and she was very sweet, so nice," she remembers.

"She's a class act and I always say to people, what makes me love an artist is not just for their artistry and for the music that they create - I love when people give back and they help those less fortunate because that's something that was instilled in me by my parents. I love people that do that, and I know Taylor Swift is very good in that way."

With singles to date including the punchy Jawbreaker and Certified, what will we hear next from Bryna? "We’ve got some fun stuff coming. I've been in Nashville writing a lot actually with a lot of Jelly Roll’s people," she says, referencing the Grammy Award-winning country artist, one of the biggest names in contemporary country music.

"We've just been creating some really cool songs, definitely a little rock, a little country, a little blues - in your face, sassy!" - RTE Entertainment Online