Brent Toland’s music reflects a wide range of influences. And while some of those influences are musical – folk, pop, jazz and blues, to name just a few broad categories – his most significant influence may be his three decades of living in the modern Midwest. Brent was born and raised in Peoria, Ill. – quintessential Midwestern river town, forgotten vestige of vaudeville days, nationwide symbol of the everyman. Like all Peorians, Brent grew up with a distinct sense of America’s middle and with conflicting urges at battle in his heart: the urge to leave Peoria behind and the urge to explore and celebrate his roots in Average America. Unlike most Peorians, Brent was able to do both. He first picked up the guitar shortly after high school and has not traveled far without one since. He spent his early adulthood shuttling between central Illinois and the larger world. He passed a couple years in the Air Force, a little time in and out of college, a little time in and out of marriage. He worked as a janitor, a delivery driver, a day trader, a bartender. Along the way, he developed a long, consistent love affair with flannel shirts. These early years yielded him a more-or-less worthless degree in finance, an appreciation for the perfect song, and a guitar case that’s been bruised and scuffed in ways that give a man insight. Brent has been playing and writing songs at every stage of his past and has performed extensively – sometimes in bars and clubs, sometimes at open mics, sometimes as a member of a band, sometimes solo. But always his own music. Brent writes his music and lyrics with a strong, uncomplicated love for the craft of songwriting. He seeks simplicity in song, with an aversion to the more “polished” aspects of performance and recording. His songs reflect the conditions of Americans from middle-sized places, the cities that are too big to be considered small-town, too small to be considered cosmopolitan. Today, Brent makes his home in Chicago, where he lives with his loving girlfriend and a poorly behaved dog. He can be seen performing at various venues throughout the city.