Brandon Wisham Releases Debut EP AIN'T WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

At 23, Brandon Wisham has already learned that healing rarely follows a straight line. On his debut Ain't What It Looks Like, out today via The Core Records/Capitol Records, the singer/songwriter turns that difficult truth into 11 songs about grief, heartbreak and the often-unseen work of moving forward. The project arrives just five days before Wisham steps into the Grand Ole Opry Circle for the first time on August 26.

Focus track 'Nothin' Left To Burn' opens the EP and sets its emotional stakes from the start. Throughout the project, the South-Carolina-bred artist transforms lived experience into songs defined by hard-won honesty, soulful vocal power and a fiercely hopeful spirit on songs including 'Ain't What It Looks Like,' 'Other Side of Lonely,' 'Tears In Her Tequila,' 'Growin' Up,' and 'Whiskey's Whisperin'.' Wisham will also bring two of the EP's songs to life through visualizers for 'Nothin' Left To Burn' and 'I Hope It Rains.' Wisham's perspective is rooted in his own experience. The South Carolina native, the youngest of seven children, first began writing songs after losing his father to COVID-19. That loss became the starting point for 'Pain Won't Last,' later recorded by Bailey Zimmerman, and established the emotional honesty he now carries into Ain't What It Looks Like.

That experience continues to shape not only what Wisham writes about, but what he hopes listeners take from his music. During a recent appearance on the Raised Rowdy podcast, he recalled an encounter that brought that purpose into focus. 'There was this doctor that came up to me and said, 'My job involves people dying every day. I see a lot of it, and you being a 20-year-old kid singing about this, you make me feel human,'' Wisham shared. 'Having someone like that saying I inspire them … it just stuck with me. I want people to feel human when they listen to my music.'

Already amassing more than 14 million total streams and 23 million views across his social platforms, Wisham has built an audience that includes more than 130,000 TikTok followers. Named one of Pandora's Country Artists to Watch and recognized as a SiriusXM The Highway 'Highway Find,' he has opened for Tyler Hubbard, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, Lakeview, Priscilla Block, Austin Snell and more. Earlier this year, he made his Stagecoach and Ryman Auditorium debuts. Next, he will make his Grand Ole Opry debut—a milestone Tyler Hubbard recently surprised him by announcing—before closing out the year with two headline shows in October.

Ain't What It Looks Like Tracklist

Nothin' Left To Burn

Ain't What It Looks Like

Growin' Up

Other Side of Lonely

Whiskey's Whisperin'

Good Grief

I Hope It Rains

Tears In Her Tequila

Back Together

She's Good

Better Than The Day

Tour Dates

August 26 — Nashville, TN — Grand Ole Opry

September 5 — Casey, IL — Fairview Park Campground

October 3 — Charlotte, NC — The Evening Muse

October 4 — Decatur, GA — Eddie's Attic

About Brandon Wisham

A powerful new voice in country music, 23-year-old singer/songwriter Brandon Wisham brings raw emotion, lived-in storytelling and a soulful vocal edge to every song he writes. Originally from Savannah, Georgia and raised in Williamston, South Carolina, Wisham grew up the youngest of seven children and began playing local cover shows as a teenager before writing his first song, 'Pain Won't Last,' a deeply personal tribute to his late father. The song quickly became a breakthrough moment, catching the attention of Bailey Zimmerman, who recorded it for his platinum-certified Religiously. The Album., and helping Wisham land a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and The Core Entertainment, and a record deal with The Core Records / Capitol Records. Since then, the Nashville-based artist has continued building momentum as one of country's most promising new voices. He has been named one of Pandora's Country Artists to Watch and recognized as a SiriusXM The Highway 'Highway Find,' while earning major live experience with performances at Stagecoach, CMA Fest and the Ryman, along with tour dates alongside Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, Tyler Hubbard, Lakeview, Austin Snell and more. With recent singles including 'Other Side of Lonely,' 'Tears In Her Tequila' and more, Wisham continues to define himself through songs rooted in heartbreak, resilience and fiercely hopeful honesty. As he looks ahead to more new music and his upcoming Grand Ole Opry debut on August 26, Wisham is stepping into a major new chapter in his fast-rising career.

Need more Music Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...