NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Brye Sebring was only two shows into the biggest tour of her career when thieves stole the trailer carrying her gear and merchandise. What followed was an outpouring of support from fans and businesses across the music industry.
Sebring's career took off in 2020 when a song she made on her iPad went viral on TikTok.
"That was just a jump-start that has never ceased to, like, fully stop. Like people still talk about that song to me to this day," Sebring said.
The viral moment launched her music career, a move to Nashville, and bigger stages. This summer, she hit the road on the biggest tour of her career — 11 shows, selling out thousand-capacity rooms.
Then, in a hotel parking lot, everything changed.
"Wait, there's no U-Haul on the back of my car. And our initial thinking was — I was very optimistic. I was like, 'Oh, maybe it just fell off last night while we were driving.' Like I could not fathom that it could be fully gone," Sebring said.
The trailer carried the gear and merchandise that funded life on the road. A closer look confirmed her fears.
"I look at the physical hitch, and I'm like, 'Oh, my God, no, they cut it off.' Like it's, they, it was locked and chained. There's no reality where this fell off," Sebring said.
Her team turned to social media for help searching the highways outside Colorado Springs, Colorado. Someone located the trailer on the side of a road off the highway, in a remote area between Colorado Springs and Denver.
"So, me and Amanda went and picked it up, and surely enough, it was our trailer in the middle of nowhere, ditched, emptied out. All of the merch gone. All of my gear that was in there … gone," Sebring said.
More than $22,000 worth of equipment and merchandise had been taken, including her childhood guitar.
Fans and businesses quickly stepped in. A fundraiser surged overnight.
"I woke up, and it was at like $16,000. I was like, 'Oh my god!' So, we were like, okay, we have to shut it down. Like, this is like crazy," Sebring said.
Support also poured in from across the music industry.
"Also, Taylor Guitars reached out to me and is sending the guitar for free. Unbelievable! Like, just insane," Sebring said.
What began as a devastating theft became a reminder of the community behind independent artists. Sebring is also hoping her story encourages other touring artists to document serial numbers and protect their gear as much as possible.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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