Brad Blackburn
Nashville, TN | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF
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Oh, what a night. Had so much fun covering and attending the Nashville stop of #LiveWhollyTour, an open mic competition held at the historic Bluebird Café! There were over twenty fabulously talented entrants, but only one walked away with $500, the opportunity to open for a national act, and a chance to win the $10,000 grand prize. Congratulations to singer-songwriter Brad Blackburn – and Nashville, be sure and stay tuned to livewhollytour.eatwholly.com for your chance to help crown Brad the ultimate victor when online voting begins August 19!
I had the chance to catch up with Brad after the show for a quick chat. Naturally, we talked Nashville, Bluebird, and the impact this opportunity has had on his future.
How does it feel to take home the grand prize from the #LiveWhollyTour stop in Nashville?
Incredible. There was so much talent at the Bluebird that night. It was a real honor to be chosen by the judges. And the $500 grand prize... I mean who couldn’t use $500? I’m working on an album, which can be a costly process, so that’ll be a huge help financially.
The Bluebird Café is such an institution for singer/songwriters in Nashville. What does it mean to you to be able to play the stage that launched the careers of so many legends – from Garth Brooks to Taylor Swift?
That was my 7th time playing The Bluebird I believe and it never gets old. It truly is an awesome venue with so much history. The audience is always 100% attentive and respectful of whoever is performing. I’d never turn down a chance to play The Bluebird; it’s a privilege.
Tell us how “Good Go Bad” – the song you performed and ultimately won with, came about. What inspired it?
"Good Go Bad” is about that girl whose definitely not the best idea for you and who you doubt is looking for any type of commitment, but you’re just sorta powerless to her charm. Basically, she’s the player, you know it’s not gonna end well, but you just can’t say no. I may have found myself in a similar situation once or twice… Anyway, I wrote it with my roommates, Trey Wehrmeyer and Johnny Dibb, our sophomore year at Belmont. We wrote the music before the lyrics, so once we had that dark groove going, I knew it wasn’t gonna be about some ideal happy relationship.
Nashville itself is home to so many up and coming musicians like you. How has living here impacted you and your career?
There’s so many good writers and players in Nashville.. Too many. But I love it. It drives me to work harder every day. There’s this feeling that someone’s always out there working harder than you, and that can really push you to be your best. On top of the talent, there’s plenty of ways to get connected with publishers, labels, management, etc.. I’ve been to so many great shows and gotten to meet some really great people. It’s an awesome community and I’ve absolutely loved my past 3 years here.
Speaking of Nashville… let’s chat some of your favorite spots!
Favorite venue to Perform: The Listening Room Café
Favorite place to see a Show: Mercy Lounge
Favorite Burger: Fat Bottom Brewery
Favorite place to grab a beer: Village Pub & Beer Garden
Where might we see you out and about in town on a weekend? I’d have to say The Listening Room Café. I play there pretty frequently and so do a lot of my writer friends. It’s a really cool spot!
Congrats on your win and thank you, Brad, for taking the time to chat. Finally, a huge thanks to Wholly Guacamole for sponsoring such a wonderful evening in Nashville! - Experience Nashville - Matt Niehoff
Senior Brad Blackburn will be taking the Best of the Best stage for a third time in his college career on Saturday. Blackburn is a veteran of the showcase series, as he has won an ASCAP Writers’ Night every year since he was a sophomore. Despite his past success, Blackburn is still excited to be playing this weekend. “There is always so much talent at the showcase, so I’m sure everyone is going to bring it, and I will try my best to bring it too,” said Blackburn. “I’ve been really lucky to have gotten this opportunity, so for my last one I just want to enjoy it.”
A Texas native, Blackburn began his musical career early. He loved singing all throughout his childhood but began songwriting when he was 12 or 13. “I honestly got tired of playing other people’s songs, so I tried writing my own,” said Blackburn.
His influences include John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Paul McCartney and Paul Simon. Like some of these inspirations, Blackburn loves for his music to empower his fans. “The thing that inspires me most lyrically is empowering others with songs that boost confidence. I always love songs that make me want to go out and do something great,” said Blackburn.
Blackburn came to Belmont because of the songwriting program and has loved being able to stay in the South, fairly close to home. When he graduates Belmont in May, Blackburn is planning on continuing to pursue songwriting. He hopes to get more music written and start touring. In May, Blackburn will also be releasing an album titled “Through the Dark.”
Hear Blackburn and the rest of the ASCAP Writers’ Night Winners at the Best of the Best Showcase Saturday at 7 p.m. - Belmont Vision
Discography
Color Coded (2014)
Good Go Bad - Single (2015)
Burns Good - Single (2016)
Spoke Too Soon - Single (2017)
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Bio
Brad Blackburn
Texas Native Brad Blackburn fosters a unique blend of Pop, Rock, and Soul, driven by his warm vocals and bluesy guitar chops. After years of developing his sound and performing most nights of the week in San Antonio, Brad relocated to Nashville, Tennessee to take on Music City. In just four short years, he has asserted himself as a force to be reckoned with in this competitive industry. His sophomore album, Through The Dark, is set for release July 2017.
With his strong pop sensibilities and seasoned lyrical ability, Brad has won a total of 8 songwriting contests since moving to Nashville. In fact, his songwriting ability earned him the 2015 ASCAP Bart Howard Songwriting Award and the 2016 ASCAP Leon Brettler Award. That being said, Brad is just as much a performer, as he is a songwriter. At just twenty-one years old, Brad has played CMA Fest; Belmont University’s Best of the Best Showcase (3 years in a row); the 18th Annual Grammy Block Party; the 2016 ASCAP Foundation Awards at the Lincoln Center; and the Live Wholly Festival where he opened up for the Cold War Kids.
For Brad, music has never been just a hobby, but rather an obsession. He picked up the guitar when he was just twelve years old and started investing hours upon hours into writing. He found inspiration in his parent’s record collection with artists like The Eagles and James Taylor, and fused it with the inspiration he took from more contemporary artists like John Mayer and Jason Mraz.
Brad released his debut album, Color Coded, in 2014 which earned him many of the accolades mentioned above. However, Brad believes that Color Coded was just the beginning: “Having spent the last three years, writing and re-writing, recording and re-recording, I have a much better grasp on who I am as an artist. I truly feel that Through The Dark captures my sound and the story I want to tell with that sound. It's deeper, darker and more honest than I've ever been before.” Singles “Good Go Bad” and “Spoke Too Soon”, are Brad’s strongest tracks to date and are available now on Spotify and iTunes.
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