 Courtesy of the Artist
Born and raised in the small town of Brownsville, TX, Mitch Bradford discovered music at a young age and immersed himself in the sounds of Neil Young, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell and others. The simplistic, warm nature of their lyrical styles and composition eventually inspired him to start writing his own material. Though music was always his first love, Mitch accepted a full-time position with Google and continued writing songs on the side. One Saturday morning in Monterey, CA, Mitch had an epiphany where he found himself soaking in the essence of California and ebing overcome with an intuitive feeling that California was where he was meant to be. He made his dreams become a reality and left his full-time gig to pursue his lifetime-gig: music.
For his new album, Love Is Kind (due later this year), Mitch teamed up with Grammy Award-Winning producer Matt Ross-Spang (Chris Isaak, Jason Isbell) seeking out a classic ‘California country’ feel, but with a modern twist. The result is a ten-song collection fit be the soundtrack of a long drive up the California coast or a weekend away in the mountains. In advance of the release, Bradford answers his Essential 8 and talks songwriting, shares the story behind Love Is Kind, and more! Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? My musical mentors are songwriters. That’s who I listen to and learn and take inspiration from. Folks like Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Margo Price, Jason Isbell. You can learn a lot from their songs. With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? I think “Sweet Defender” which is coming out soon turned out well. The original arrangement we were working on was loud and distorted. It was cool, but it didn’t fit the song. We moved Dave Cousar (who plays lead) to acoustic guitar and we switched up the arrangement to something simpler. It turned out well, I think. Very close to what I hear in my head.
Is there a story behind your album’s title?
I think it’s a mix of stories. There’s probably some of St. Paul’s letters there “Love is patient … love is kind” and the Alan Jackson song “Love is Hard.” I like that song a lot. And the title is probably ea reminder to myself too about the point of love. But your interpretation is as good as mine. The songs exist on their own. Why did you choose to anchor the album with the songs you did? We chose the best 10. But there’s a thematic element to the record. It’s built as an album. You go 1-5. Then take a break. And end with 6-10. When/where do you do your best writing? I do a lot of my writing at my desk on a legal pad. I’m not sure it’s my best! Haha. I get a lot of good inspiration when I’m running too. Your mind is clear there so I think good ideas can come in and out. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? I don’t really write about personal experience anymore. I try to get at more abstract emotions and get at something universal. My process is an amalgam process. I try to create something new from other people’s experiences and my own. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? “If you’re not doing something different, you’re not doing anything.” Matt Ross-Spang told me that. And he got it from Sam Phillips. It’s great advice. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? I would say try to access the universal within the specific. It’s something I’m still working on! It’s a never-ending journey. But the best songs are ones that get at a universal human emotion or idea through a very specific human event. Website/Facebook/Insta
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