Brett Dennen

Official Website: http://www.brettdennen.net

Brett Dennen is a singer/songwriter from Oakdale, California.

In 2004, Dennen released his first self-titled album, Brett Dennen, and has been releasing albums on a regular basis since. Dennen's music has been featured in several television shows, including Roadtrip Nation on PBS, Grey's Anatomy, House, The Unit, Scrubs, Ugly Betty, and Parenthood. Dennen also appeared shoeless (as is his custom) on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 8, 2008, and followed up that appearance with showings on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Show with David Letterman in 2009. In addition to television series, Dennen has also sold to national advertising campaigns for companies such as Hilton Hotels.

He has traveled extensively across the U.S., serving as stagehand for musicians such as John Mayer, Michael Franti, and guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Dennen has been a part of The Mosaic Project, a San Francisco Bay Area-based non-profit organization, since its inception. The Mosaic Project works towards a peaceful future by uniting young children of diverse backgrounds, providing them with essential skills to thrive in an increasingly diverse society, and empowering them to strive for peace. As The Mosaic Project's Resident Rock Star, Dennen created an original musical curriculum for the program, which they released as an album called Children's Songs for Peace and a Better World, in 2003. It won a Children's Music Web 2004 Award and a Parent's Choice 2004 Approved Award.

In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named Dennen one of its eight "Guys on the Rise". Dennen has toured with Mason Jennings and Missy Higgins, and spent the summer of 2008 attending festivals such as the Rothbury Music Festival in Michigan, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Lyons Folk Festival, and the Mile High Music Festival in Colorado.

In 2008, Dennen, along with Jason Mraz, contributed the song "Long Road to Forgiveness" to the Survival International charity album Songs for Survival.

In January 2009, Dennen embarked on a 3-month vacation across the US, with friends Erin McCarley and Angus & Julia Stone.

On August 1, 2009, Dennen played at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

For those that haven't heard Brett Dennen's music before, here's a short sample featuring some of my favorite songs off his self-titled debut album...