Brett Dooley goes personal on solo record

Brett Dooley calls the music business a “world of singles.” Performers are releasing one song instead of full albums that tell a complete story.

He wanted to be different, so the Whiskey Treats vocalist/guitarist released an eight-song solo concept album, “The Long Road,” in February. He plays with Whiskey Treats from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Hops and Vines in Sonoita, and then hits the stage solo starting in June.

Dooley’s songwriting process for “The Long Road” began four months after the pandemic started. It was just something to do, at first, then it “turned into its own thing.”

“I wanted to do a concept album,” he said. “I feel like you can’t tell that much of a story with one song. I sat down, decided what the topics would be, and I came up with the idea to go through my life and touch on the things that hit me the hardest.”

He said the project was challenging, as it was accompanied by different instrumentation.

“I had never written songs based on the piano,” he said. “It had always been the guitar.”

By nature, Whiskey Treats plays upbeat bar-friendly music that “keeps people drinking,” he said with a laugh.

“This album doesn’t fit well in the format,” he added. “My album tends to be a lot of old country music, inspired by old Willie Nelson, George Strait, a lot of 1960s to 1980s country.”

Dooley began his musical journey at age 5, when he started taking piano lessons in his home state of Missouri. He played trombone through junior high and high school. He dropped it in college. In his early 20s, the Navy veteran picked up the guitar and piano.

“That’s when it really started making sense to me,” he said. “I didn’t want to read other people’s sheet music. I wanted to write my own. Now it’s a lot of fun. I get to play with a lot of fun musicians.”

On “The Long Road,” however, it’s all Dooley. He played everything but pedal steel guitar, as, he said, musicians have to spend decades mastering that instrument.

“Everything else is me,” Dooley said. “I really poured my heart and soul into it. It’s a personal thing. I tried to write the songs in a way that’s relatable. The only exception is the last song, ‘Was This a Life,’ which looks forward, and it reflects on my life, too.

“I tried to spend a lot of time making sure the songs flowed from one to another. It’s a real album. It wasn’t a collection of songs thrown onto a CD.”

The goal, Dooley said, is to ensure music fans hear the album.

“I know it’s not going to be everybody’s thing,” he said. ‘It is good enough where people out there will probably like it. I just want to get it in front of people’s ears.”

Brett Dooley/Whiskey Treats

For details on shows, visit brettdooley.com

Whiskey Treats

2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 18, Hops and Vines, 3450 AZ-82, Sonoita

3:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 2, Tucson Folk Festival North Court Stage

7 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 21, Gardens at Bear Canyon

5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, Proper Shops Courtyard

Brett Dooley

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17; Saturday, July 29; Saturday, Aug. 19, La Paloma Pool, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive, Tucson

This article appears in Mar 16-22, 2023.