Dave Brainard is a Nashville-based producer, songwriter, and musician known for song-driven production that feels honest, musical, and built to last. He works closely with artists to create records that serve the song first while bringing out each artist’s unique identity.His production credits include Jerrod Niemann’s Judge Jerrod and the Hung Jury (featuring the hits “Lover, Lover” and “What Do You Want”), Free the Music, Brandy Clark’s 12 Stories (which earned four Grammy nominations), Ray Scott’s Rayality (including the SiriusXM Highway Find “How Do You Get in Those Jeans”), and albums by Sunny Sweeney, Jenny Tolman, Brit Taylor, Rizz and the Believers, and many others.
Over the years, he has worked with artists including Jamey Johnson, Lyle Lovett, Drake White, Jon Wolfe, The Time Jumpers, Robby Hecht, Randy Rogers, David Nail, Michael McDonald, and Cliff Cody, alongside a new generation of emerging artists.
As a songwriter, Brainard has had cuts recorded by Hunter Hayes, Jason Mraz, Brooks & Dunn, Neil McCoy, and many others.
Though highly regarded as a multi-instrumentalist, Dave often jokes that his favorite instrument is his Rolodex — built through years of collaboration with many of Nashville’s top musicians, engineers, artists, and songwriters.
