[11] After high school Branan moved to Memphis, where, among other jobs, he worked as a bartender at the Peabody Hotel.

[3] 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.

[14] In 2003, Branan made his TV network debut playing the song, "Miss Ferguson" on The David Letterman Show.

[16] "Sweet Janine" is a song loosely based on and inspired by the death of his best friend in elementary school who drowned from an asthma attack at a pool party.

[21] American Songwriter praised his "hushed, dry whiskey voice and his sharp edged, story song lyrics [which] make the appropriately titled Mutt a mongrel that rewards repeated spins with an understanding of Branan’s many influences and an appreciation for his largely impressionistic, thought-provoking words.

Originally intended to be titled Midtown – in reference to the diverse neighborhood in Memphis – Branan said that the theme of each song on the record reminds him of the poem The Oven Bird by Robert Frost "which paints a picture of the fallen petals of post-spring flowers to convey fleeting beauty and ends with the question, 'What to make of a diminished thing.

[26] In discussing the cover, Branan described her being like a "Mississippi Madonna with a boom box, kind of like a folk art thing.

[6] The album, produced by Paul Ebersold and recorded over the period of three days in Nashville at The Sound Kitchen,[6][27] features contributions by Craig Finn and Steve Selvidge of The Hold Steady, Tim Easton, Caitlin Rose, Austin Lucas, and Jason Isbell.

Sadler Vaden (Drivin N Cryin, Jason Isbell) is on electric guitar and John Radford on play drums on the record.

[30] Drummer John Radford (the Dynamites) and pedal steel guitar player Robby Turner play on the track "No Hit Wonder.

[34] In 2021, Blue Élan Records announced they had signed Branan to their label, with a new album expected to be released early 2022.

[39] In April 2015, Branan was part of a Record Store Day release with label-mate, Lydia Loveless.