Artist to Watch: Brett Dennen

WHO Not many rockers are versed in wilderness survival. But Brett Dennen is the exception. The laid-back folk rocker spent his early twenties as a camp counselor in Yosemite, California, leading teens on backpacking trips through the Sierra Nevada mountains. The kids in his crew, many of whom were forced into the Outward Bound-style program by social workers or probation officers, weren't exactly suited for the environment, but he taught them how to purify water and set up shelter. "I pushed them to their limits," says Dennen, who was home-schooled by his mom, a gardener, and his dad, a carpenter, in Northern California. "We used to go boot skiing, where you can catch a snow patch and ski in your shoes. There were times when I had to tackle kids who were veering too close to the edge."

SOUND Many of the songs on Dennen's most recent album, 2006's So Much More, are inspired by his rustic upbringing. The twenty-eight-year-old turns out relaxed roots-rock jams about walking through the trees and watching desert sunsets. He's also got some serious guitar-playing chops — his finger-picked, jazz-influenced chord structures could be mistaken for Dave Matthews or early John Mayer tunes. In fact, Mayer has become one of Dennen's biggest fans: After catching a gig in California last year, Mayer asked Dennen to support him on tour and, aided by that exposure, So Much More recently peaked at Number One on the eMusic charts. "Sometimes I feel bad because I don't know the names of his songs," says Dennen of Mayer. "But I definitely think he's the shit."

KEY TRACK "Ain't No Reason" Dennen bites Jack Johnson's steez in lovely folk-rock ballad about — what else? — peace and love.

GIVING BACK Dennen still remains down-to-earth, with his altruism intact. Last year, he started Love Speaks, an organization that helps various local nonprofit groups set up information booths and address the audience from onstage before Dennen's performances. "It's bigger than me just singing and an audience listening," he says. "It's about making a positive change."

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