Greenville Folk Singer-Songwriter Brooks Dixon Drops New Sentimental Single ‘After All’

If you’re looking for quality acoustic songwriters in or around Greenville, South Carolina, look no further than folk singer Brooks Dixon. 

This singer-songwriter began his journey as a performer at Clemson University, where he would write original songs and perform them on and around campus. It was in 2014 that Dixon independently released his first EP, Stone Pile. Right out of college, he began working on his chops and playing at local bars and coffee shops. Few could deny his innate talent, thus, he gained recognition and popularity rather quickly. His sound was compared to multiple icons within the folk genre including James Taylor and Ray LaMontagne. 

Although, true traction for this songwriter’s career was gained when he teamed up with another Greenville singer-songwriter, Sara Middleton. This creative team took what they had together, found two other Greenville folk players, and formed Brooks Dixon and the Noble Sound. All of a sudden, the group was playing for thousands at Downtown Alive, a popular music venue in Lafayette, Louisiana.

In the midst of some exciting opportunities for the group, Dixon began sensing that his sound was transforming into a fuller more “robust Americana tone” as his online bio described it. In early 2016, he illustrated this new sound in his second EP titled Weather the Storm. The Weather the Storm EP took him and the band to numerous regional festivals and clubs throughout the Southeast as well. 

Not too long after the release of this EP, the group felt that they found true unity with five members and a new name: The Brooks Dixon Band. This uniquely soulful folk group has Dixon on vocals and guitar, Middleton’s clean harmonies and occasional lead vocals, Ross Krieg on the saxophone, and Bennett Dixon on the bass. Together, these five bring his gorgeous arrangements to life in the most harmoniously charming way; what more could a folk fan ask for?

The Brooks Dixon Band released “Good Intentions” in 2017 as their first band single, and since then they have released their debut album, Pocketful of Dreams. 

Dixon and his group’s new single, “After All, opens with only his guitar and warm vocals to welcome the listener. The song then flourishes into the chorus where there is a satisfying harmony between the vocalists. On his Instagram, he gave a detailed description and was honest about how much this piece means to him. The lead vocalist went on about how the idea of him living to tell a story that isn’t entirely unique, or special “after all”, in the grand scheme of humanity, can be crippling to one’s creative spirit. 

Dixon’s post is quite touching and insightful, as he expressed that it can sometimes feel discouraging that the “ultimate creation can never quite measure up to the creator itself”. He closes this thought, however, by saying that he takes heart in knowing that what makes his creations unique is that he made them. He closes the caption of this post by saying that ultimately, this song is about embracing that the work of his hands will always be work, but that does not mean that there isn’t beauty in life and creating anyways. The new track commemorates and celebrates this thought. 

“After All” is the epitome of a melancholy yet comforting folk song. Dixon has bared a piece of his heart and soul in this song, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for him and his band.