Daily Inspiration: Meet Wayne Brain

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wayne Brain. 

Hi Wayne, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My creative journey into music seriously began a number of years back when I made the decision to drop out of college. The summer before, a friend had shown me the ropes of digital music production, which became an energizing hobby for me. With college not working out, I naturally turned to what I loved, the music, and went all in on trying to make something of it. 

3 years and a self-produced album later, I found myself at a crossroads and decided it was time to press the reset button again, returning to education. I started from scratch and began a new journey into the world of science, betting on myself to find success by any means. This ultimately led to my current job, carrying out a research doctorate in physics at the University of Oxford. 

During this journey back into academia, I didn’t touch music production at all; that chapter was closed for me. Then the COVID-19 pandemic came along. I was back home visiting family for Christmas whilst the world was locked down, and me and my brother were hanging out with nothing much to do. By chance, my brother suggested that we both make a beat and see whose comes out better. This was the spark that began another new journey, bringing me back to music production, something that I will be taking over full-time once I complete my doctorate at the end of the year. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road definitely wasn’t straight or smooth. It had many twists and turns to negotiate, and there were big life decisions to make at several points along the way. The biggest struggles I faced along the way stemmed from the big U-turn decisions about my future. The first step – accepting that the course I was studying at college wasn’t for me – weighed heavy on me without me being fully aware of what the source of it was, and similarly, the second U-turn decision to leave music behind and return to education followed the same pattern. Starting from scratch and falling behind your friends & peers is a daunting prospect that requires a lot of sacrifice for success. Although I experienced a lot of negative emotion during these periods, negotiating them provided important growth and taught me a lot about myself. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Music Producer by trade. I work mostly on Hip Hop and specialize in the genres Drill, Michigan/Detroit Rap & Trap. 

I’m most known for my work with Mvplug Quesus, a talented artist from Grand Rapids, MI, who is putting on for his city and most definitely has a bright future in music ahead of him. Check out his latest album ‘Nostalgia’ on all steaming platforms, which I produced a couple of tracks on. 

I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve built with my collaborators thus far. I pride myself on providing as much value to those that work with me and support me, making it possible for me to do what I do. This is one of the things that sets me apart from others in my field. Another thing is my ability and openness to make music in whichever style is required of me; I don’t fear stepping into any genre. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I’ve just launched my own digital radio station on Pandora, WAYNE BRAIN Radio, covering a number of diverse genres. You can check this out in the links provided, as well as my collaborations with Michigan-based artists. For any inquiries, contact me via the email provided or the Instagram link. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktree.com/waynegivemebrain
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waynegivemebrain/

Image Credits
Pavel Diaz
Muneeb Zafar