We had the good fortune of connecting with Brett Beddard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brett, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Connection.! Success is a relative term. I have not seen much financial success however that was never the point. As an artist, of any medium, I believe the real goal & most important factor is to create art that resonates with others. I view success, essentially in having the type of impact on a soul that my favorite artist have had on me!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started playing drums around age 11 & as i grew as a person I fell in love with jazz, hip hop, soul, bass music, trap culture and community resilience. I think my unique life experieces including moving around a lot in Eastern NC, living primarily off the land for years in Western NC, & various run ins with the law & my recent incarceration in IL have shaped my love for various cultures, my message of solidarity with marginalized communities, & an intersectional focus on the issues we collectively face on our precious earth, that is essentially the message of my work. I create my art with a blend of acoustic & electronic elements that feels like im a bit of a hybrid in my craft.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I suppose that depends on the city! I find beauty in nature so I tend to seek out, experience & share places like that! I love swamps, mountain air, & well for food Bill’s Hot Dogs in Washington NC is one of favorites!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Jeff Blinder, organizer of Spazzfest & a vibrant underground music scene for over 20 years in Greenville NC has, through his selfless work brought countless incredible artist of all types into my life! On a different note
William “Mecca” Elmore
Author of “Prison from the inside out”
-One man’s journey from a Life Sentence to Freedom
Has always been a bit of a mentor to me without even realizing it & does great work in the Durham Community!
Lastly the kind folks in Wilmington like Anna who organizes Alt-Zalea Fest & Pastor Meg at the Hope Recovery & Community center there!

Website: Rthbndr.com

Youtube: @rthbndrmusic

Other: Rthbndr.bandcamp.com And on all streaming platforms as Rthbndr

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutNorthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.