Bryan Finlay

Bryan Finlay (born August 31st, 1993), is a Canadian Pop recording artist. His inspiration comes from such pop artists as Jessie J and Bruno Mars, rock acts such as Maroon 5 and Neon Trees, and Soul performers including Adele, Michael Buble, Ray Charles, and John Legend. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Bryan has had an affinity for music for as long as he can remember. As a young child, he would play simple melodies and sing along to them on his father’s electric keyboard. “His voice just came out of no where. Musical blood doesn’t really run in our family,” says Mr. Finlay. It was not soon before long that Bryan’s parents realized music would be a part of their son’s life forever. “My parents are the reason I started singing. I got my first taste of Bob Marley and Ace of Base from them. Without their endless emotional support, I would never have been able to pursue my dream.” On top of performing, Bryan has also received the opportunity to compete in several musical competitions, the most notable being in November 2010 for Top 40 station, 91.7 The Bounce. Competing against 140 other local musicians, Bryan was named the winner of the “7th Annual 91.7 The Bounce Showdown.” It was here that Canadian pop/R&B recording artist, Shawn Desman, and the production duo of Hipjoint Music Group Vancouver discovered Bryan’s talents. This win gave Bryan the opportunity to record with world-class record producers, Mike James and Troy Samson (Hipjoint Music Group), both of whom have written and produced many successful commercial hits for artists such as, Hedley, Big Time Rush,Kelly Rowland, Kreesha Turner and Craig Smart. From there on in, Bryan has been spiraling up within the industry. In February 2011, Finlay released his first self-titled EP through a digital distribution deal with Hipjoint Music Group/Universal Music. In the same month, Finlay performed alongside recording artists Kreesha Turner(EMI), Shiloh(Universal), and JUNO Award winner Q- Benjamin in a showcase hosted by 91.7 The Bounce. Later that year, Bryan signed a Worldwide Licensing Deal with ‘DMX Music Licensing’ for Hollister/Abercrombie & Fitch C.O. They would later add his single Sentimental Fool to the Hollister Summer 2011 Playlist where it was featured globally. Sentimental Fool, went on to be a Top 20 radio hit, playing up against artists such as Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, and Adele. Bryan’s second single from his debut EP, All I Can Do, was picked up by Epitome Pictures in July 2011 and featured on the MuchMusic(Canada)/TeenNick(US) multiple-award winning hit Canadian teen drama television series, DEGRASSI . In July of 2012, ‘All I Can Do’ was picked up by Canadian radio and Bryan was named the “Bell Media Emerging Artist.” The win allowed the single to gain nation wide radio airplay. In April 2012 Bryan released the single, ‘Good Times’ which was produced by Edmonton based production duo Hands Up!. Bryan is slated to release more collaborations with Hands Up! in Summer 2012. Bryan has played numerous major venues and shows, Edmonton Event Centre, West Edmonton Mall, RiverCree Resort, and most notably he was asked to perform at “Boonstock Music & Arts Festival 2012.” The line up included Afrojack, Billy Talent, Avicii, Knife Party, Kaskade and many more. Music aside, something else that has been close to Bryan’s heart is the increasingly common issue of peer pressure and bullying. Throughout his schooling, Bryan has dealt with pressure and bullying from classmates. Though he struggled with this, Bryan always rose up and over the negative comments he received, and he has continued to grow as a person. Bryan strongly believes in taking a stand against bullying. Bryan has partnered up with 104.9 Virgin Radio to do school tours promoting anti-bullying. “I would not be the person I am today if it wasn’t for those people in my past. Nobody can change your morals and values. I want to be able to speak to the world, tell them that life gets better after the storms. Stay strong and keep your true friends and family close to your heart.” Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.