Your name:
My name is David
S. Bradford.
Where are you
from?
I'm currently
living in Horsham, Pennsylvania - a town outside of Philadelphia.
Name of band:
I perform under
the name D. S. Bradford.
Who else is in your band?
I am a solo
artist.
How would you
describe yourself?
I've done a lot
of soul-searching over the last few years. There was a time when I wouldn't
have been able to answer this question honestly. I've made a lot of mistakes in
life, but I've grown a lot from those lessons, with the love and patience from
my fiancé and family. That is what is really important to me: the values of
family, because no matter what happens with my career, they will always support
me, but I cannot take that for granted or else I would have nothing.
When I was
younger, I got swept up in the partying side of music and lost sight of the
meaning behind why I create music. I have a lot of feelings and ideas to share
and the best way for me to do so is through music and art. I tainted that by
not sticking to my beliefs, but it wasn't the end for me. Things are better
since I started over and now I feel more free, personally and creatively.
Who are your main influences musically?
I have many
different influences from several genres. Both of my parents are classical
singers and my uncle has had a rock band for decades, so music runs in my
family. Being that my music falls into the 'alternative rock' or 'progressive
rock' categories, I would have to say that Coheed and Cambria are my biggest
influence in music. Something about them speaks to me and as a guitarist, they
have some great tunes to warm up my fingers to! The songwriting, the story, the
members themselves are inspirational to me. Anyone who knows me, knows this,
and I make it known...a lot!
Other artists
and bands I draw inspiration from are Serj Tankian and System of a Down,
Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Father John Misty, Davenport Cabinet, Bayside, Vino
Alan, Soundgarden, Incubus, Alice In Chains, The Beatles, John Lennon's solo
work, Green Day, Sublime, a lot of bands from the 90s, the list goes on.
What do you hope to achieve in music?
What I hope to
achieve in music is to share my story with anyone who will listen. I want to
inspire people, and show them that they can achieve anything through hard work
and continue to create music that has substance. Not only am I a musician, I am
also a visual artist and I'd like to be an inspiration in that way, too - an
advocate for the arts, in any form. I hope to do this through leading as an
example. I want to build a catalog of great music that is heartfelt and makes
people feel good, whether through lyrics or the composition itself, and I would
ultimately love to create music for film and television. I have a lot that I
want to do and want to experiment with different genres. Although I am mostly
rock-oriented in my writing, I want to challenge myself and compose a symphony
someday.
What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
It may be too
early to tell because I've only just truly begun. I've been writing songs for a
while, but I started over again and have renounced my earlier work. I haven't
shunned my experiences because they are just that: experiences. I've learned
from them. I was lucky enough to have some direction from a professional in the
recording industry, Jeff Blue, who's worked with some notable artists like Linkin
Park. Meeting with him and improving my songwriting was advantageous to my
career at the start. Since then, I can call the creation of my single
"Oceans" as the first song I wrote that is genuine, about something
that matters, and something that I am, and will always be, proud of. I'll
always remember the feeling of writing that song.
And what’s the moment you want to forget?
The very first
show I performed, I was in the middle of a song and completely blanked on the
lyrics. I was playing acoustic, so I was right out in the open with nowhere to
go. I lost my place in the song and panicked. I made up the rest of the song,
but my heart was racing and I was filled with so much anxiety. No one noticed,
and I think I played it off well, but I was a nervous wreck. I made sure to
work more on my awareness of my place in the songs after that! I chalked it up
to first-time jitters.
If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what
would it be and why?
My current
release, Oceans, is my debut single. I wrote it back in 2012, after
I took a break from music to reassess my priorities and start a life with my
fiancé. It represents overcoming the struggles that I created and almost losing
everything, the strained relationships, the war against myself. and coming to
grips with reality. It is a song of hope. As it developed and my life continued
to improve, I could see that the song had even more meaning than I originally
had intended. Within the chorus, "New life always brings a smile,"
was meant as a nod to starting over. Now, to me personally, it also means the
happiness I felt witnessing the birth of my son. I love that about songwriting,
how a song could mean something at one time, the lyrics stay the same, but then
take on a whole new meaning as life moves forward and evolves.
Where can we listen to it?
You can listen
to "Oceans" on my SoundCloud page - www.soundcloud.com/dsbradford/oceans
Where can we find out more about your music?
* This site
contains the deluxe version of Oceans and has a lot more than just
the song, including a print of the artwork I drew for the cover and lyric
sheet.
Purchase &
Streaming:
iTunes (US
direct link): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/oceans-single/id887652530
iTunes/Amazon/Google
Play (US & Worldwide): http://smarturl.it/DSBradford_Oceans
Beats Music: http://listen.beatsmusic.com/artists/ar3459602
Anything else you’d like to say that I forgot to ask?
I'd just like to
add that I am currently working on an EP, which I am looking to have finished
soon and released in early 2015. As with this first single, the other songs
will have my own illustrations to narrate the stories behind them in a
different way. The title and cover art for the overall release will be
announced across my social media channels. Stay tuned for that.
For anyone
reading this who wants to create: Do it. Life is too short to stop yourself
from doing what you truly love. Even if it's a small contribution to your own
life's satisfaction and happiness, it may mean the world to somebody, so share
that. If you've ever felt like you're alone in anything that you do, you'll be
surprised by the support of others if you are creating something genuine. It's
that simple.
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