About

A man with long hair and beard wearing a light brown hat, tan jacket, gray T-shirt, tan pants, and black shoes, sitting on a wooden stool against a dark textured background.

Brendan Forrest is an award-winning Americana artist originally from Chicago’s Northside who traded urban life for the wide-open landscape of Southwest Colorado.

His latest release, Songs from San Miguel (Vol. 1) (November 2025), is a minimalist, roots-driven portrait blending traditional folk sensibility with modern songwriting — shaped by the rugged spirit of San Miguel County. The 13-track collection was recorded DIY and self-produced with support from Telluride Arts.

The project earned him a 2025 Telluride Arts Grant, and he has been named a 2026 Telluride Arts Grantee again for the forthcoming Vol. 2 (due later this year). He is also a Lone Cone Legacy Trust grantee for a collaborative project with Roudy. Earlier in his career, Forrest won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and was a two-time City of Chicago Individual Artists Program grantee.

The foundation for this chapter was laid with his breakout Nashville record, Daydreaming Music Fiend, recorded alongside IBMA and Grammy-winning musicians — a defining moment that marked his shift from internationally active producer to devoted acoustic flatpicking guitarist and folk songwriter.

Raised on Chicago blues, Irish-American Celtic traditions, 70s folk and psychedelic rock — and later shaped by jazz, bluegrass, and global music — Forrest has always moved between worlds. After years in Chicago’s underground arts scene and touring across four continents, he gradually shed his electric roots for the clarity of acoustic music.

In many ways, embracing traditional folk felt like embracing his own name: Forrest — rooted, organic, and a little wild. Today, he continues carving a singular path in Americana, honoring tradition while quietly expanding it.

* John Lennon Songwriting Contest Winner (2020)
* City Of Chicago Individual Artist Grantee (2019, 2020)

Bluegrass
Journeymen Alumni

Two men are standing together, smiling. One is holding an acoustic guitar and wearing glasses, a hat, and a patterned scarf. The other is dressed in a dark suit and pointing at the man with the guitar. They are in front of a display with photos and text about a bluegrass music event.

In the Spring of 2023, Brendan was invited to join The Bluegrass Journeyman — a non-profit cultural education program focused on expanding the worldwide footprint of bluegrass.

During his time with The Bluegrass Journeyman (TBJ), Forrest toured and taught masterclasses across northeast India, including performances in New Delhi, Sikkim, Pakyong, Kalimpong, and Kolkota.

Each TBJ tour includes performances, musical outreach with area influencers, and educational workshops for the youth. These retreats include carved-out time for socialinitiatives, team-building adventures, and cultural immersion, all of which remain primary TBJ core values.

Artist

Outside of his professional music career, Brendan is a passionate art enthusiast — and avid painter and poet.

Forrest studied fine arts for four years in high school. Before taking up music full-time, he often considered himself more an artist than a musician.

Post-high school, Forrest went on to study music in higher education. With his pursuit of guitar and songwriting, art and painting took a backseat — but when the COVID pandemic shut down the music world, he picked up painting again with a renewed passion.

He has since displayed works in several galleries and has become an in-demand portrait and landscape painter for hire. He draws inspiration and theory from fine arts in his music, and vice versa.