 After high school Branan moved to Memphis, where, among other jobs, he worked as a bartender at the Peabody Hotel.In his early 20s he began to explore the music of singer-songwriter John Prine, which led to Branan writing his own songs, which he began performing at open mic nights at Memphis' Daily Planet.Although initially self-released in 2001, Branan re-released his debut full-length album, "The Hell You Say," on MADJACK Records on October 8, 2002.