Bran Merritt’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

Bran Merritt shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Bran, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What battle are you avoiding?
This was a battle I had been avoiding, but it’s now been resolved. At the time, it was incredibly challenging, and I think it’s important to talk about it. With our upcoming album, THE SPACEMAN – CONQUEST, our producer, Jonn Nicholson, and I wanted to move in a more electronic and industrial direction. That sound typically relies on electronic drums.

Since 2020, Sleep Nation has consisted of just two members: myself on vocals and guitar, and our drummer, Joey Lauretta. To take this new creative step, we had to align with the conventions of the genre. I had many in-depth conversations with Jonn, and I knew what needed to happen—but I was extremely hesitant.

Eventually, after many discussions, I approached Joey with the difficult decision: we’d be using electronic drums instead of his live acoustic drum tracking—essentially cutting him out of the recording process. Joey responded with complete professionalism and said we had to do what was best for the album. That’s exactly why he’s been a part of Sleep Nation since 2019.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Bran Merritt. I’m a Tennessee native, and I live in Middle Tennessee with my wife, Bryanna Licciardi, and our three cats. I picked up my first instrument—the banjo—at age 9, but quickly lost interest when I realized it was mostly limited to one style of music. When I was 12, I lost my mother, Sabrina, to breast cancer, and I needed something to help heal that pain. My dad, Brett, had taken guitar lessons when I was a kid, so we always had an acoustic guitar sitting by the fireplace. One day, around age 14, I picked it up and started learning the chords to Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” My dad showed me a few basics, and from there, I was hooked.

Not long after, my childhood friend Brandon Hillis sold me my first electric guitar, and I couldn’t put it down. I kept practicing and growing. Fast forward to 2010—Justin Swingler and I formed an alternative rock project called Sleep Nation. Since then, we’ve released three albums and several singles. On August 22nd, THE SPACEMAN – CONQUEST will be released as the first of four installments in our genre-bending Four Horsemen series.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I’ll never forget this moment. I was six years old, in first grade. For some reason, our teacher, Denise Reed, stepped out of the classroom for a moment. I took that opportunity to climb up onto my chair in front of the entire class, stretch out my arms, and sing at the top of my lungs a song my grandfather’s band had written at the time:

“Back to Rattlesnake Ridge,
Cross the river on a swinging bridge,
Back to Rattlesnake Ridge.”

Unfortunately, just as I was finishing my grand performance, Mrs. Reed walked back in. I’m pretty sure a letter went home that day.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
On our last album, Deadbeat Disco, I wrote about a moment that still fills me with deep regret. I’m not sure who originally said it, but there’s a quote that stuck with me: “Write about what you’re afraid to write about.” That’s what inspired me to write “Blue Converse.”

The week before my mother, Sabrina, passed away from breast cancer, we were at home in the living room. A nurse was there, helping care for her in her final days. The phone rang. I got up to answer it, but my mother gently asked me to let it go to voicemail. I didn’t listen. I answered it anyway—and afterwards, I yelled at her. To this day, I’m disgusted with myself for doing that. Why couldn’t I have just listened? Why couldn’t I let it ring?

I did apologize not long after, and I know she never saw me differently. My mom gave me everything—her strength, her love, her all. And then, just a week later, she was gone. The very next week, I had to walk into my first day of junior high. I still don’t know how I made it through. I carried so much weight into that school.

Blue Converse was my attempt to put that pain into music. To give that terrible moment a voice, and maybe, in doing so, begin to heal.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Hahaha—I truly believe SLEEP NATION is that project. I’ve been the longest-standing member of the band. We’ve been through countless drummers—kind of like Spinal Tap—and our fair share of difficult guitar players. But this is something I just can’t seem to let go of. Not everything turns out exactly how I want it to, but there are always people in our circle who keep me going.

Jonn Nicholson, Blake Scopino, and Julia Who—just to name a few—have been a huge part of that. Blake has been our live guitarist throughout 2025, and after every show, he talks about the future of SLEEP NATION with so much excitement and hope that it inspires me to keep the vehicle in drive. My childhood friend, Brandon Hillis—who’s no longer with us—was one of the band’s greatest encouragers. I miss our late-night conversations, and his words still echo in my head: Keep going.

Before Julia joined us as our live bassist, she used to drop hints all the time about wanting to be part of the band. And when people actually want to be involved in what you’re building, that’s incredibly encouraging. Finally, Jonn has been a massive part of our recent creative surge, and I’m genuinely excited for what’s ahead.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I truly believe I’m doing what I was created to do. When I’m on stage, fully in that moment, there’s nothing else I can imagine myself doing. There’s no other feeling in the world like connecting with people through performance.

Even though I’m not doing music “full-time,” I’m in full control of it—and that, to me, is powerful. I’m not relying on music to sustain my well-being, which honestly feels a bit terrifying at times. But still, there’s not a single doubt in my mind: this is what I was born to do.

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Image Credits
Bo Judkins

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