Music: Light Your Fire by Brody Ray Runge – Nashville, TN

My name is Brody Ray Runge, I am a 27 year old transgendered male and Nashville Recording Artist. I have an episode on TLC’s show Strange Sex called Right Guy, Wrong Body. The episode is about my life as a trans male, me pursuing a music career, relationships and happiness. I was born and raised in Kearney, Nebraska, living in Omaha, NE for a year in 2010.

I’ve played the guitar since I was 8 years old. In college, I worked towards a music business degree, but just wasn’t happy with life, so I dropped out with a semester left to start my transition to male and focus on writing and performing music as a career. I formed a band after moving to Omaha, and played shows in the area. Soon after, I reached out to the TLC network and was cast and filmed for a show called Strange Sex. They showcased my life as a trans man, focusing on my relationship with my girlfriend at the time, the support I received from my friends and family, the procedures I would undergo to complete my transition from female to male, my music and band performing. A few months later, I decided to audition for American Idol where I had a chance to sing in front of the celebrity judges in Aspen,CO October 2011, after making it through 4 auditioning rounds. The summer of 2014 I auditioned for The Voice and made it through 3 auditions all the way to the Blind auditions! I had a lots of things come up a few days before shooting and had to make the tough choice to wait and come back for a different season. I plan on returning to the show!

In 2013/14, I had the first 2 stages of 3 of my genital reconstruction surgery done in Belgrade, Serbia. As soon as all surgeries are complete, I will be moving to Nashville, TN to further my career in music. I am currently living in Kearney, NE and playing shows around town at local bars and venues. My manager and I are working hard to promote the new EP! I have been traveling and playing Pride Festivals and bars all over the US last Summer/fall. Festivals include: Palm Springs Pride, CA for over 20,000 people opening up for Berlin. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Pride, Kalamazoo Pride, Spokane, WA Rainbow Pride, Roanoke, VA Pride, Memphis, TN mid-south Pride and Omaha, NE Heartland Pride. All my press released from news papers and online websites you can find here on Reverbnation.com:https://www.reverbnation.com/brodyrayrunge/press

Last year I released my first 5 song EP worldwide called Detour. I wrote and recorded the whole EP in Nashville, TN with some amazing people at Pacific International Records on Music Row.

Check out Brody’s new single, ” Light Your Fire” and the reason behind writing this song.

Why did you select this song as your current single?

I wrote this song about 4 years ago and it has been re-recorded about three times now. We finally found the best fit for the song and this is it. It was a time in my life where I was really struggling with a bad break up and living really far away from home for the first time. I selected this song because it means the most to me. It takes me back to those feelings I had in those moments. The song came together better than I thought it would and I love the harmonies and the new edge that we put on it. I just love every second of this song and can hear it doing really well in the future. Everyone always tells me this is their favorite. That’s why!

How does this single relate to the rest of the Album, EP or Mix-tape?

This song really stand out to me actually. It just has its own sound. But lyrically it relates in every way to all the songs. I wrote them all from real situations, real feelings, real experiences that I pulled from my heart, inspiring me to write about them. They are all highlights of very emotional and inspirational moments or experiences in my life, weather it was love, heartache, learning or overcoming a personal struggle. It’s basically my life in a short movie, but through song. First, I fall in love with a girl (You Got Me On My Knees). Then I start to feel we might be falling apart and I feel I need to do something to bring back that fire we once had, (Light Your Fire). Then I realize all we do is go around in circles, fighting, ups and downs, in and outs, and for some reason we can’t live with or without each other (Can’t Love You). Next I realize I have to move on get over her because it’s over when it’s over, “The Hard Way”. Finally, I have OVERCOME and CONQUERED my heartache and pain, I’ve learned everything happens for a reason, we have to make the best it and now I am ready to move on and be become better, smarter and stronger than ever before! (Detour)

What was the writing process for the song?

The writing process was simple. She had left me, but I wasn’t ready to give up on her. I was so inspired and overwhelmed with feelings I decided to write her a song to get her back. And well, it worked! For a little while, but it eventually ended again. I started with the basic chords that I thought sounded good and put a good melody to it. Spilled my heart onto paper to get the lyrics just right. Tried for something a little more simple yet catchy. Something I know people can relate to or have experience themselves. Something you can remember and sing along with, or could hear on the radio.

What does this song’s lyric mean to you?

I guess when I was writing it I had the idea in my head that she would have to come running back after she heard it. I just had to get it to her somehow. This was a very dark time for me and there’s just so much raw emotion and pain behind it that many won’t ever know. It was my cry for her to give me another chance. To make her love me again. I would do anything. Just come over, stay with me, we can have drinks, forget we ever fought or were bad for each other. I just don’t care, just let me love you again. She could never just leave me alone, she always loved me, she could never just leave and let me go completely. But the problem was that she just couldn’t be with me forever.

What would it be like to see you in person performing this song?

I think it would be very emotional and deep. I think that when I sing this song I bring that experience to life again, because I lived it. I want people to feel with me when I perform it. I want people to be able to relate to it and say yeah, I’ve been there, I’ve felt that too, and have a connection. Some would say I sing it better live!

Could your fans summarize who you are as an artist by this song?

Absolutely. I write from experience and the heart. I put 100% into every song I write and record. I tweak it until it’s just the way I want it. I’m a perfectionist and my music reflects that. This song shows a little of the rock edge I have with the soft mushy gushy love song side of me.

Is there a video planned and or completed and if so, what was the idea behind the video?

I want to do a video for this song so bad! I would definitely need more money and someone who is awesome with recreating moments! I think if I were to do a video I think it would be very emotional, dark at times, raw and sensual.

One last question, what is your motivation behind your music?

My motivation is to help people find an outlet with music like I was able to. To be able to connect and relate in a way that maybe, for a second the pain and heartache would go away, drive you to be a better person, to write your own music, or to inspire someone to be who they really are and live life to the fullest. M
usic has saved my life in so many ways. If I can help people the way it’s helped me, then I would feel accomplished everyday. I know that coming from a transgendered persons point of view, I can relate to some many other groups or kinds of people in this world that many might not be able to. I want people to see that just because I’m transgendered doesn’t mean I’m different or can’t do what other biological male and females can, I’m no different. I write, feel, sing, perform, entertain, speak out, stand up for things I believe in, just like everyone else in the world is enabled to do. I want to use my voice not only to sing my story but to tell it to the world. This is who I am, I’ve had some big obstacles that most may never have to face, and I will have to work hard everyday to get what I need in life, but it’s made me stronger and more humbled with the blessings I’ve had. And my battle is never over, I will never stop fighting for what I love and believe in; Music, love and life.