October 10, 2025 • 7 mins
Brett Tomberlin is a rising country star from Locust, NC. Brett comes on the show to talk about his journey from North Carolina to Hollywood, his new single "Just Got Paid” that was released September 26, and his Netflix Acting debut in House of Dynamite. House of Dynamite is in theaters Oct 10, and streaming on Netflix Oct 24. We hope you enjoy!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Gram by Sarah Lee Special guest in studios. It's always
nice when we have special guests in Brett Tomberland joining us.
Local boy makes good.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome man, Yes, sir man, Thank you guys for having me.
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
It is a big jump to move from a locus
North Carolina to Hollywood to LA What was it life
changing for you?
Speaker 4 (00:19):
I'll tell you one thing. That's definitely an adjustment for sure.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
But I was in the army for a few years
before I moved to LA, so thankfully I got a
little bit of a sprameboard in between there.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
But yeah, it was. It was a culture shock for sure.
Thank you for your service, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
And we saw the itinerary. You're a busy man these days.
What do you want to get into first? The music,
the acting, the single? Like, well, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, we just put out a single call just Got Paid.
It's a fun kind of Brooks and Done, kind of
classic nineties feel to it. I really love that, you know,
country is kind of coming back to his roots right
now and like as a collective and I just really
I couldn't wait to get a track together like that
and get it out and you know, we've always kind
of grew up listened to music like that, but it
was it was fun to finally get one out.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
A lot of Hank Williams in it.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Oh yeah, listen to all Over, which was good.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I'll top into it now. If you could go on
tour and open for any country artist who is your
all time dream favorite person.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Oh man, I'm gonna go for man. We can. We
can talk all alone about ones that aren't with us anymore.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
But I would say if we're talking about ones that
are in the game right now, go support my my
Carolina boy, Luke Combs and Stapleton, Man Stapleton or Marcus.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
King yeah alone. Yeah, Yeah, those guys hard not to
like them. Man, they're great guys. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
So how are you finding tom because you're doing multiple
industries and having success in them. Acting bug obviously, La
that makes sense for you. I'd love for you to
talk to us about it because I have no idea
how the Netflix show came about or your role in it.
Music first, acting first, like, how did that algorithm come
about for you?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So I was in the army from about seventeen years
old to twenty three, and then you know when I
made the out of the Uproot my whole start, and
just moved LA for acting. When I got out there
for acting, thankfully, got in class, used my gi bill,
slept on a friend's couch. You know, just kind of
figured I didn't know anything about acting, but I just
decided I was going to do it and got out there.
After a couple of years, finally got first couple of bookings.
(02:15):
And while I was out there, kind of fell back
and loved music, so I saw people doing it for
a living.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Hold up, you just said that so nonchalantly when you
were in Los Angeles. Everybody in the entire state is
trying to be an actor, and you said booked a
couple of bookings like it was nothing, and that is
not normal.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I moved to LA with two hundred bucks in a
Harley two months out of the army, and somehow thought
that was going to work out, and itankfully it did.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
But you know, country song, right for sure, two hundred
bucks in a Harley, I like, I want co writer credited.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
I didn't need to cut you off. So a couple
of bookings and then country.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
So both my parents grew up in the gospel space,
grew up singing in church with them my whole life,
and you know, my small town, nobody ever really you know,
things like, oh you do it around town, you do
around church, nobody really.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Moves out and pursues it.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
And then after I got out there, I saw people
doing it for a living, and I was like, y'all
are doing this for a living, and it doesn't seem
as hard as everybody in my hometown makes it out
to be. But I know it's hard. But people got
a shot, you know. So I was like, well, I'm
gonna shoot my shot, and you know, thankfully we got
some traction.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Where is Locus, North Carolina? So I'm born and raised
in Raleigh, so I apologize I'm not familiar exactly where
that is.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Where is Locus Sticks? Yeah, no, no, no, it's not
too bad, man.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
So if you go directly down to Alma Road about
thirty minutes straight down twenty four to twenty seven, that's
where it is.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Right there. It's the halfway point between the Charlotte album
All nice.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Very cool, God's country.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
It's growing now though, that I'll tell you what. All
the suburbs and Charlotte are growing.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
You know why one hundred and fifty people moved to
Charlotte every single day, so they have to go somewhere.
So it's exciting statistic now, yes, one hundred and fifty
a day.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yeah, we crossed pass because I moved from LA to here. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Well we won't be in La our whole life. But yeah,
that's that's crazy. I know you said you were near
where I'm at right now.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Yeah, so yeah, very cool.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Well, House of Dynamite, you're in LA and having success us.
I don't know much about House of Dynamite, but I
think Idris Alba is in it.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Which is Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso. He's living
in Carolina right now, Aggreta Lee, Antha Ramos. So it's
from Catherine Bigelow, the director of Zero Dark thirty, Hurt Locker,
Point Break. So this is one of our next big
films after Detroit and Zero Darc thirty.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
So it's in theater's October tenth.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
In Theater's October tenth. It's a white house thriller, star
studed cast, and it's a pretty heavy film, but it
keep you on the edge of your seat for sure.
Theater's October tenth. Netflix October twenty fourth.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Now, was it hard to see Graham is really good
at retaining information? I am not massive adhd over here,
So was it really hard to learn your lines?
Speaker 2 (04:37):
I think for me, lines is one of those things
to where it's just like a muscle, like anything else,
you know, Like, once you get in the rhythm of
doing it, it becomes a lot easier. But when you're
first starting, yeah, it can be intimidating. But once you
start doing it, it's just like anything else. You work
the muscle, it gets stronger.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
I'm just curious as has the writing process for your
music change or been influenced by either the success or
failures that you've had through the end entertainment industry in
LA because I lived in LA and I saw a
lot of people go through a lot of hard times
with they get told no ninety nine percent of the
rooms that they go into oh yeah until you hear
the one. So has that affected your writing process, your
creative process at all.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
I'll tell you one thing, man, it makes you face
some things upfront about what you're feeling versus what you're
telling yourself you're feeling or what you're really experience. It
makes you be real about what you're experiencing. You know,
it kind of makes you look things in the eyes
head on. So I think it's helped my writing a lot.
It's helped my stage performance a lot, because you know,
it forces you to face things that you're dealing with
and you know you can't really hide behind it. You
(05:34):
can't go to your nine to five and stuff like that.
You got to sit in it for a while. So
it helps my writing a lot.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I think, Yeah, that's a cool, I mean, great answer,
probably rehearsed, but we'll not at all, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Being you said that you sing with your family, and
you come from a Christian upbringing and skin gospel music,
and I would think that you would lean in on
your faith in those times. And I hate to say this,
actually I'll brag on Jesus for a minute, because I'm
a faith believing Christian into and I think that when
other people get scared, it's when I know that God's
going to work it out, and I know for a fact,
(06:07):
like it'll be an unbelievable opportunity where you shouldn't have it.
I mean, I came from King's Mountain, North Carolina, and
when I went to New York City and worked with
Nick Cannon. I'm like, but God, do you know, like
I think it gives you this boost of confidence and
that we can always rely on him, that he is
faithful to his word. So do you mix your gospel
background with country? I mean it always blends.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Well.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I'll say one thing it talk about like you were
talking about having like a center, like a rock.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
You know, it's this.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
You got to be able to have a certain piece
about you that I think only God I can give
when it comes to stuff like that, because if you don't,
you'll go about crazy, you know, on on a week
to week basis. But as far as mixing, mixing in
gospel and country, I mean, God, they're.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
So they're so close together.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Todd at the Route and I have one thing I
do love about this industry and about country is that,
you know, a lot of us pull from our gospel roots,
and a lot of us, you know, that's where we started.
We grew up in church, and I would say at
an early age in church, we learned how to feel
music before we learn how to really like sing or
really what it means, but we learn how to feel it.
And I think that's huge for any genre, but especially
(07:10):
with country with musicianship, and I think I think that's
why gospel kind of like ties into the country very well.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
For me, congratulations on everything, and again, we love to
see local people do well, and so we will be
cheering for you, supporting man, and we appreciate you making
time because we did hear that the schedule is pretty heap.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Well man, it's all you one thing.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
It means the world to be on the station I
grew up listening to my whole life. So this is
a pretty surreal moment for me. And thank you guys
so much for having me.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Let's appreciate it that
Gram by Sarah Lee Special guest in studios. It's always
nice when we have special guests in Brett Tomberland joining us.
Local boy makes good.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome man, Yes, sir man, Thank you guys for having me.
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
It is a big jump to move from a locus
North Carolina to Hollywood to LA What was it life
changing for you?
Speaker 4 (00:19):
I'll tell you one thing. That's definitely an adjustment for sure.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
But I was in the army for a few years
before I moved to LA, so thankfully I got a
little bit of a sprameboard in between there.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
But yeah, it was. It was a culture shock for sure.
Thank you for your service, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
And we saw the itinerary. You're a busy man these days.
What do you want to get into first? The music,
the acting, the single? Like, well, what's going on?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, we just put out a single call just Got Paid.
It's a fun kind of Brooks and Done, kind of
classic nineties feel to it. I really love that, you know,
country is kind of coming back to his roots right
now and like as a collective and I just really
I couldn't wait to get a track together like that
and get it out and you know, we've always kind
of grew up listened to music like that, but it
was it was fun to finally get one out.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
A lot of Hank Williams in it.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Oh yeah, listen to all Over, which was good.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
I'll top into it now. If you could go on
tour and open for any country artist who is your
all time dream favorite person.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
Oh man, I'm gonna go for man. We can. We
can talk all alone about ones that aren't with us anymore.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
But I would say if we're talking about ones that
are in the game right now, go support my my
Carolina boy, Luke Combs and Stapleton, Man Stapleton or Marcus.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
King yeah alone. Yeah, Yeah, those guys hard not to
like them. Man, they're great guys. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
So how are you finding tom because you're doing multiple
industries and having success in them. Acting bug obviously, La
that makes sense for you. I'd love for you to
talk to us about it because I have no idea
how the Netflix show came about or your role in it.
Music first, acting first, like, how did that algorithm come
about for you?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So I was in the army from about seventeen years
old to twenty three, and then you know when I
made the out of the Uproot my whole start, and
just moved LA for acting. When I got out there
for acting, thankfully, got in class, used my gi bill,
slept on a friend's couch. You know, just kind of
figured I didn't know anything about acting, but I just
decided I was going to do it and got out there.
After a couple of years, finally got first couple of bookings.
(02:15):
And while I was out there, kind of fell back
and loved music, so I saw people doing it for
a living.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Hold up, you just said that so nonchalantly when you
were in Los Angeles. Everybody in the entire state is
trying to be an actor, and you said booked a
couple of bookings like it was nothing, and that is
not normal.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I moved to LA with two hundred bucks in a
Harley two months out of the army, and somehow thought
that was going to work out, and itankfully it did.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
But you know, country song, right for sure, two hundred
bucks in a Harley, I like, I want co writer credited.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
I didn't need to cut you off. So a couple
of bookings and then country.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
So both my parents grew up in the gospel space,
grew up singing in church with them my whole life,
and you know, my small town, nobody ever really you know,
things like, oh you do it around town, you do
around church, nobody really.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
Moves out and pursues it.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
And then after I got out there, I saw people
doing it for a living, and I was like, y'all
are doing this for a living, and it doesn't seem
as hard as everybody in my hometown makes it out
to be. But I know it's hard. But people got
a shot, you know. So I was like, well, I'm
gonna shoot my shot, and you know, thankfully we got
some traction.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Where is Locus, North Carolina? So I'm born and raised
in Raleigh, so I apologize I'm not familiar exactly where
that is.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Where is Locus Sticks? Yeah, no, no, no, it's not
too bad, man.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
So if you go directly down to Alma Road about
thirty minutes straight down twenty four to twenty seven, that's
where it is.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
Right there. It's the halfway point between the Charlotte album
All nice.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Very cool, God's country.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
It's growing now though, that I'll tell you what. All
the suburbs and Charlotte are growing.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
You know why one hundred and fifty people moved to
Charlotte every single day, so they have to go somewhere.
So it's exciting statistic now, yes, one hundred and fifty
a day.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yeah, we crossed pass because I moved from LA to here. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Well we won't be in La our whole life. But yeah,
that's that's crazy. I know you said you were near
where I'm at right now.
Speaker 4 (03:56):
Yeah, so yeah, very cool.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Well, House of Dynamite, you're in LA and having success us.
I don't know much about House of Dynamite, but I
think Idris Alba is in it.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Which is Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso. He's living
in Carolina right now, Aggreta Lee, Antha Ramos. So it's
from Catherine Bigelow, the director of Zero Dark thirty, Hurt Locker,
Point Break. So this is one of our next big
films after Detroit and Zero Darc thirty.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
So it's in theater's October tenth.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
In Theater's October tenth. It's a white house thriller, star
studed cast, and it's a pretty heavy film, but it
keep you on the edge of your seat for sure.
Theater's October tenth. Netflix October twenty fourth.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Now, was it hard to see Graham is really good
at retaining information? I am not massive adhd over here,
So was it really hard to learn your lines?
Speaker 2 (04:37):
I think for me, lines is one of those things
to where it's just like a muscle, like anything else,
you know, Like, once you get in the rhythm of
doing it, it becomes a lot easier. But when you're
first starting, yeah, it can be intimidating. But once you
start doing it, it's just like anything else. You work
the muscle, it gets stronger.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
I'm just curious as has the writing process for your
music change or been influenced by either the success or
failures that you've had through the end entertainment industry in
LA because I lived in LA and I saw a
lot of people go through a lot of hard times
with they get told no ninety nine percent of the
rooms that they go into oh yeah until you hear
the one. So has that affected your writing process, your
creative process at all.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
I'll tell you one thing, man, it makes you face
some things upfront about what you're feeling versus what you're
telling yourself you're feeling or what you're really experience. It
makes you be real about what you're experiencing. You know,
it kind of makes you look things in the eyes
head on. So I think it's helped my writing a lot.
It's helped my stage performance a lot, because you know,
it forces you to face things that you're dealing with
and you know you can't really hide behind it. You
(05:34):
can't go to your nine to five and stuff like that.
You got to sit in it for a while. So
it helps my writing a lot.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I think, Yeah, that's a cool, I mean, great answer,
probably rehearsed, but we'll not at all, you know.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Being you said that you sing with your family, and
you come from a Christian upbringing and skin gospel music,
and I would think that you would lean in on
your faith in those times. And I hate to say this,
actually I'll brag on Jesus for a minute, because I'm
a faith believing Christian into and I think that when
other people get scared, it's when I know that God's
going to work it out, and I know for a fact,
(06:07):
like it'll be an unbelievable opportunity where you shouldn't have it.
I mean, I came from King's Mountain, North Carolina, and
when I went to New York City and worked with
Nick Cannon. I'm like, but God, do you know, like
I think it gives you this boost of confidence and
that we can always rely on him, that he is
faithful to his word. So do you mix your gospel
background with country? I mean it always blends.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Well.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
I'll say one thing it talk about like you were
talking about having like a center, like a rock.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
You know, it's this.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
You got to be able to have a certain piece
about you that I think only God I can give
when it comes to stuff like that, because if you don't,
you'll go about crazy, you know, on on a week
to week basis. But as far as mixing, mixing in
gospel and country, I mean, God, they're.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
So they're so close together.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Todd at the Route and I have one thing I
do love about this industry and about country is that,
you know, a lot of us pull from our gospel roots,
and a lot of us, you know, that's where we started.
We grew up in church, and I would say at
an early age in church, we learned how to feel
music before we learn how to really like sing or
really what it means, but we learn how to feel it.
And I think that's huge for any genre, but especially
(07:10):
with country with musicianship, and I think I think that's
why gospel kind of like ties into the country very well.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
For me, congratulations on everything, and again, we love to
see local people do well, and so we will be
cheering for you, supporting man, and we appreciate you making
time because we did hear that the schedule is pretty heap.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Well man, it's all you one thing.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
It means the world to be on the station I
grew up listening to my whole life. So this is
a pretty surreal moment for me. And thank you guys
so much for having me.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Let's appreciate it that
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