N.E.R.D. had been nearing completion of their first album, In Search Of … using only synthesized instruments. But when they heard Spymob, they decided that the band’s realtime playing was the necessary ingredient to compete the album. Williams and Hugo signed Spymob to their own label, Star Trak Records. The band appears on 2003’s The Neptunes Present … Clones album.
Spymob toured with N.E.R.D. from 2001 through 2004, serving as both backing band and opening act. N.E.R.D./Spymob supported such acts as Jay-Z, Maroon 5, the Black Eyed Peas, the Roots, and Dave Matthews.
Spymob disbanded after those tours. Brent decided to focus on music production, initially in Minneapolis. But in 2006, he relocated to Los Angeles. “Being in LA opened a lot of doors for me,” he says. “I still worked with Pharrell and Chad on sessions from time to time, but I picked up lots of other work and experiences.”
Brent expanded his playing, writing, and production resumes working with top-tier producers like Tricky Stewart, Rodney Jerkins, Ryan Leslie, and Matt Serletic. He contributed to Britney Spears’s Femme Fatale, Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger, and Ryan Leslie’s Transition. He landed production and writing credits on Chris Brown’s X, Girlicious’s Rebuilt, New Kids on the Block’s 10, and Cris Cab’s Where I Belong. He also appears on Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream, a 2012 Grammy Record of the Year nominee.
In 2013 Brent got even busier thanks to the record-shattering international success of Pharrell’s song “Happy.” “Pharrell’s schedule started picking up,” says Brent. “He was having me play guitar on records he did for other artists. I played most of the guitars on his second solo album, G I R L. The next few years were a blur of touring and sessions. Thanks to Pharrell’s success, even more work came my way.”