Artist To Watch: Brian Fuente

Very rarely can a vocalist take the stage in a crowded venue and immediately grab the attention of the entire room. Brian Fuente is a frontman with a ‘voice’ that has been known to turn heads since age nine, when he first picked up a guitar and taught himself to rock. The seasoned singer-songwriter hails from Ridgeland, Mississippi, a small town just outside of Jackson. The product of a guitar player and jazz vocalist, Fuente performed as a teen in between his mother’s sets at local clubs. Growing up in a musical household he later found his way on the road playing his own shows at clubs and venues, where he developed a strong stage presence and diverse following.

In 2007, Fuente packed up his things and took the road to Nashville, hoping his talents would be well received in Music City. Not long after his arrival, he started his first Nashville-based rock group Newmatic and began honing his skills as a songwriter. Fuente’s rich, raspy vocal contributed to the popularity of Newmatic and as the frontman for the band, Fuente was no stranger to the spotlight. In 2011, the singer auditioned for the hit TV reality competition The Voice. With the result of his audition coming to a television near you, he’s been focusing on music full time. Late last year, Brian tapped into his southern roots, songwriting for a number of notable Nashville musicians and hit the studio with a new solo project that he’s preparing to share with the world in the coming months.

You can tune in Mondays this February to see Brian’s blind audition on NBC’s The Voice to see if his recognizable one turned the heads – or in this case, chairs – of some of the music industry’s most recognizable talents. And check out this video of Fuente’s take on The Black Keys‘ “Tighten Up”.