BryanStars

Odell was born on May 22, 1990 in Japan, where he resided until he was eight years old before moving to Dallas, Texas, then as a teen to Nebraska. He attended Lincoln East High School where he graduated in 2008.[1] He attended the University of Nebraska for two years and majored in Broadcast Journalism. However he made the decision to drop out early to focus on his YouTube channel, "BryanStars".[2]

In high school Odell filmed a documentary that aired on C-SPAN.[3]

In 2011, Odell won a prize of $35,000 and a multi-day workshop with professional online bloggers at the Youtube Next Up! contest in New York City.[1][4][5]

Odell is best known for his BryanStars Interviews, series on his YouTube channel, BryanStars. He publishes interviews and music videos from bands of the rock and heavy metal scene. Since 2008 he has interviewed acts such as Asking Alexandria, Blood On The Dance Floor, Motionless In White, Pierce the Veil, Black Veil Brides, All Time Low, Sleeping with Sirens, The Ready Set, One Ok Rock, Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots, Avenged Sevenfold, Escape the Fate, Suicide Silence, Disturbed, Creed, Hollywood Undead, Korn, Three Days Grace, Bullet For My Valentine, Cannibal Corpse and Slipknot, as well as artists like Rob Zombie, Papa Roach, Cody Simpson, G-Eazy, Mitchel Musso and winners of American Idol.[6] Odell has also interviewed record producer Matt Good and YouTube stars Shane Dawson, Michael Buckley and Dave Days.[7] He has published more than 1000 band interviews to his YouTube Channel.[8]

In 2013, BryanStars Interviews was voted by music fans as the Best Music Blog in the Alternative Press Reader’s Choice Poll 2013.[9] BryanStars Interviews was nominated for a Shorty Award for “Best Web Show” in 2014 along with Jerry Seinfeld.[10] In 2014 Journeys produced a "This Is My Journey" segment about Odell that played in stores nationwide.[11]

Odell released his first album "Follow Your Dreams" in 2016. The release of his first music video "Shut Up And Kiss Me" trended on Twitter.[12] Odell was a guest on Andy Biersack's new podcast "The Andy Show" later that year to promote his music [13]

In 2018 Odell went on hiatus from YouTube. However a video of Odell moshing at the final Vans Warped Tour went viral on Twitter.[14]

Odell has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Kerrang, Alternative Press Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard Magazine and the official Hot Topic YouTube Channel.[15]

In 2016 Odell went into the studio with ZK Studios (All Time Low, The Ready Set, Mayday Parade) to record his debut EP. On March 21, 2016, BryanStars announced the release of a 5-track EP entitled "Follow Your Dreams".[25] Pre-orders for the EP became available on iTunes and Google Play shortly after. It was released on April 1, 2016 and charted on Billboard at #22 on the Alternative New Artist Album Chart, #59 on the New Artist Album Chart and #128 on the Indie Albums Chart.[26] BryanStars also collaborated with Social Repose on a cover of Bring Me The Horizon's "Follow You"[27]

In November 2016, Odell announced that he would be releasing a second EP titled the "Picture Perfect EP". It was released on December 4, 2016.[28]

On June 3, 2012, Never Shout Never was interviewed by BryanStars, in an interview that was being covered by The New York Times. About halfway through the interview, Christofer Drew Ingle cut Bryan off, calling his show "a joke" and his questions "bullshit". As a result, the band ended the interview, and BryanStars was in tears because of it. An outpour of support for BryanStars happened as a result, and many musicians shared their words of support including Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens, Chris Fronzak of Attila, and Andy Biersack of Black Veil Brides.[32] In a Stickam broadcast, Ingle stated that he felt bad that he made BryanStars cry. Ingle later admitted that he had taken acid earlier the day of the interview.[33][34] Ingle was arrested the same day for possession of marijuana.[35]

• Shorty Award “Best Web Show” 2014 Nominated[10]
• Alternative Press Magazine "Best Music Blog" 2013[9]
• YouTube NextUp 2011[36]

• Official website