Andy Browne played his first gig with his band The Nightporters – a local group that lit up Atlanta’s punk scene in the 1980s – when he was 14 years old. Now, roughly 40 years later, he’s exploring something a little softer.
Browne is playing an acoustic show at Thinking Man Tavern in Decatur on Feb. 14. Even though the show takes place on Valentine’s Day, Browne said the gig will be “just a regular show,” although he likes playing on special dates. But, anyone – romantically involved or not – is welcome.
One of Browne’s latest singles, “The Dummy in Me,” is a reflection of the growth he’s experienced both professionally and personally over the years, he said. Browne grew up in England and remembers seeing David Bowie and The Beatles on the BBC. When he was younger, he remembers thinking they were a bit weird.
“They’re not really weird,” he said. “My mindset, as I grew and matured, was realizing that they’re just doing their thing.”
Nowadays, Browne also feels like he’s doing his thing. After The Nightporters broke up, Browne found himself in Los Angeles and then Philadelphia before moving back to Atlanta in 2016. In 2020, he helped form Lynx Deluxe. Eventually, he started playing solo acoustic shows like the one at Thinking Man on Valentine’s Day.
Before playing those early shows, Browne never thought he would have the confidence to play solo acoustically. He said he thinks the newfound confidence comes from overcoming personal struggles throughout the years and finding that he wasn’t as angry at the world as he used to be.
“Maybe a clear mind really helps do that … growing and realizing that emotionally, instead of hiding behind booze, you fix your fears and problems, and your mind shifts gears into, oh, I can do this too,” he said. “That confidence was built upon just realizing, hey – I’m okay.”
Browne cites Bob Dylan, Miles Davis, and Frank Sinatra as musical inspirations, along with bands like R.E.M. and The Clash, whom The Nightporters played with once upon a time. His solo work is distinct from his work with collaborators, such as Lynx Deluxe. He credits the desire to change things up genre-wise to Bowie.
“David Bowie was able to step into different realms,” Browne said. “He didn’t fight against the norm, but he just did what he wanted to do at the time. Which was completely different from basically what everybody else was doing.”
Browne named a lot of Atlanta music scene legends as being helpful throughout his career, in particular Peter Buck of R.E.M. According to Browne, during his Nightporters days, he remembers being at a party where Buck told him that even if Browne didn’t make it with The Nightporters, he would make it someday.
At the time, Browne was taken aback – after all, The Nightporters meant everything to him. But looking back, he says, it feels prophetic.
“I think he kind of called the shot, because what I’m doing now is more appealing to a lot of people,” Browne said. “Maybe he saw the future before we did.”