By Kane Birch
After an escape from addiction and leaving his London life behind, a new musician has entered the Thanet creative space.
Brandon Rendall, originally from Croydon, is a producer who is now based in and around Thanet, aiming to work with varying artists and musicians. The 30-year-old moved to the isle in 2018 for a fresh start after encouragement from a relative who already lives here.
The tipping point for that move came after he was paid for some work in a sports bar and ended up going on a binge.
Brandon said: “After getting paid, I thought I might as well get myself something to eat and go back to the hostel I was in.
“That didn’t work out. I went into the shop, came out again, and saw some friends I knew and thought ‘yeah one beer won’t hurt.’ The next thing I knew, I’d spent about £100 on alcohol and about £500 on drugs.
“I don’t think I got back to that hostel until 3pm the next day. I went to the bed, woke up feeling rough as hell, and then I went to Margate to see my relative.
“They asked why I didn’t come the day before (as arranged) and I was ashamed to say what I did, but they said to me, ‘why don’t you move down here?’
“If they didn’t give me that opportunity, I would probably still be at that point now, or wouldn’t be here at all.”
A fresh start
It was after the move to Margate that Brandon cleaned up and found his creativity again and an ambition to become a producer blending rap verses and house beats into’ a unique mix.’
In 2016/17 Brandon had taken part in a photography course which resulted in his photos being published by The Guardian and Time Out magazine. But his real interest lay in music. He was able to write lyrics and rap but gigs did not pay enough to make a living.
That interest was rekindled after he discovered Arts Education Exchange in Northdown Road. The youth music charity provides creative education, training, and employment for young people aged up to 26. At that time Brandon was 25 and decided to give it a try.
The charity, which also has the youth-led Tonetic records label, helped him with the skills to begin producing.
Brandon said: “I came from Croydon with a London mindset, and after going there, it opened my eyes up more to what goes into music, especially the producing side. It’s not just putting a few beats together, there’s a lot more to it.
“Not long after that lockdown came, so I was stuck at home doing nothing. I tried to figure out how I could do something creative. I think I went through 30 apps a day, trying to find one that was good for creating music.”
Brandon then bought a MacBook with Logic music software. Sadly it wouldn’t let him sample but, apart from that, he was ready to go.
He started dropping some old music he had created in his spare time and working with local musicians to learn from them and connect.
Brandon also made some personal songs around his own experiences, such as a song called “Crying” which is about his social anxiety.
He said: ““I’ve got one (song) on (my YouTube account), and it’s about the anxiety. I found a video I felt went well with the song, so I asked for permission from the owners to use it.”
On the right track
Brandon is working towards his security work SIA badge, something he wanted to do in the past but was held back by his anxiety.
His aim is to get his security license and open more doors for himself, allowing him to meet more artists and go to new places, getting his name further out there.
While not working on music, Brandon has a spark for football and has thought of becoming a coach. He also has an interest in bartending and the creation of cocktails.
Returning to music, Brandon says he has his passion back and just needs to keep the momentum going and keep his creativity flowing.
His accounts were hacked previously but he is taking steps to recreate those accounts and reshare his work.
And his advice for up-and-coming musicians? Brandon said: “Listening to other people means they will dictate what you make. Go with what you want and what you like, listen to their advice but don’t let them change something you feel is right.”
Brandon’s YouTube account where he publishes most of his music is: Rendall – YouTube.
Kane Birch, from Ramsgate, is a multimedia journalism student in the final year of his degree at Canterbury Christ Church University.
