Exposed Vocals just caught an exclusive with Matt Bradford

So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?

I grew up in both Washington D.C. and the San Francisco Bay area.  There wasn’t a lot of music around my house as a kid, but I always wanted to play guitar.  When I was 16, I finally was able to buy one.  From the moment I brought that guitar home, I really fell in love with the instrument, and that expanded what I was listening to.  I started getting into blues and jazz and classic rock because it was all so accessible on the instrument.

When I was 21, I developed horrible tendonitis in my left hand, and was sidelined from playing any music for a couple of years.  I still wanted to be around music, so I started building and repairing guitars, and ended up landing a job with Bill Asher, who builds, among other things, lap steels for Ben Harper.  Being around lap steels showed me an avenue back to playing music, and Bill let me build myself a lap steel.

I eventually made my way over to acoustic music, and as band after band broke up, I started to sing and write my own stuff because I was sick of dealing with bands and all of the politics and drama that come with them, and I don’t like being dependent on others in order to play a gig or write a song.

I ended up where I am now really organically.  I didn’t just one day decide, “I’m going to be a singer/songwriter with a dobro.”  It all evolved, and through some choices and some circumstance, I ended up a solo artist.

All of that being said, from the day I bought that first cheap electric guitar I knew one thing.  There is nothing better in this world than making music.  I love it to the very core of my being, and I don’t really know how to be happy doing anything else.

Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?

There’s a lot of rejection in this business.  Don’t let no’s stop you.  Sometimes you have to go through dozens of no’s to get a yes.  If you’re looking for a gig, ask around at all the places near you.   You want airplay?   Call the radio station and ask what you can do to get on the radio.  No matter what, keep plugging away.

Do you ever make mistakes during performances? How do you handle that?

Of course.  My performances are mostly improvised, and I like to take chances.  Often times that produces really cool moments, but it can also invite catastrophe.  At this point, I just laugh.  You can’t play perfectly, so why sweat the mistakes?  They’re part of the charm of the show.

Do you tour? Anything interesting happen on tour that you think our readers would enjoy hearing about?

I do tour.  I don’t know if this is something anybody really wants to hear about, but I find it really interesting, especially in what feels like such a divided time in our country.

I live in Los Angeles, and I’m answering these questions in Abilene, TX.  I’m going to go play a show in a couple of hours.  And while both Los Angeles, and Abilene are cities in the United States, they may as well be on different planets.  From the culture, to the way people interact, to the way the freeways work.  Despite all of those differences, and many others, what really catches my attention is how similar we all are.  There’s kind people and jerks, smart people and morons, loving people, and some who probably need a little more love in their lives.    The politics and things that divide us, for the most part, are such an illusion. If you take the politics out of the equation, and just talk person to person, we all have so much in common, that it’s insane to see how divided everything feels in this country.  I just wish more people could have the experience of traveling through small towns, and big cities, and really getting to know people in both settings.  I’ve found I’m provided with an understanding of where other people are coming from.

Any planned studio upgrades? What are you working with now?

I am currently running a MOTU interface with some discrete external preamps.  I use a Pearlman TM-1 for vocals, and a variety of different mics for acoustic instruments.  I really have everything I need.  There’s always that new shiny thing I want, but if somebody can’t record and mix a record with the stuff I have currently, it wouldn’t be because of the tools.

How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?

I’m always a fan of trying everything, and seeing what works best in the moment.  And then, I’ll revisit it a couple of years later.  I currently have an awesome publicist at City Bird Publicity, and she’s getting me new avenues to hopefully garner attention.  And obviously social media is a good way to get stuff out there.  I started posting a short instagram video at least 3 or 4 times a week about a year and a half ago, and that’s helping to get some small attention.  But the biggest thing is, and has always been playing live.  If I can get in front of people, I can get their attention.

If you could perform anywhere and with any artists (Dead or Alive) where and who would it be with? Why?

I would love to play with Bruce Springsteen on his couch, or at some divey little bar in the middle of nowhere.  Someplace where it wasn’t about putting on a show, or impressing anybody.  Bruce is one of the greatest all time songwriters, and I’d love to just get to interact with him musically.

So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?

I have a new full length record coming out Apr 14 titled, “Better Roads Ahead.”  It’s nine original songs, and I played all of the instruments except for drums, played by the fantastic Josh Teitelbaum.  I think these are my best songs, and productions to date.

The record has a balanced mix of uptempo and groove oriented songs, and slower, sadder, more introspective songs.  I had a lot of fun layering shakers, tambourines, pianos, organs, and guitars.  There’s a lot of space, but some really ripping dobro stuff too.

 If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?

I’d probably just be rocking myself in the fetal position in the middle of my living room floor weeping.  Naked.  There’s nothing else that makes me feel half so alive as playing.

What should fans look forward to in the next year or so?

A lot more touring.  I’m currently on a run through Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado.  I’ll be in Utah, Idaho, and the Pacific Northwest in May.  And then a bunch of California dates are in the works for June.  I also already have a hand full of tunes that I’m already thinking about starting to record.  The short answer is a lot more music.

Any Shout-outs?

Too many shout-outs to count.  I’m really blessed to have parents and a brother that are super supportive of what I’m doing.  All of the friends and new friends who let me crash with them when I’m on the road.  Tim Hatayama for putting up with my ridiculous questions, and showing me how he mixes a song, and giving me the confidence to tackle that task myself.  Josh Teitelbaum for making the recording process as easy as a drummer can.  Every single person who has given me advice, or help, or just said, “hey man, I really like what you’re doing.”