Brad Wilson
If you want a taste of Americana, feast your ears on the blues-rock tunes of Brad Wilson. Wilson is a singer, songwriter, blues-rock guitarist extraordinaire who steps aside as frontman for the blues-rock band Stone to pursue his craft. He is currently touring the West Coast in support of his brilliant self-titled solo CD on CB records.
Wilson has the most enjoyable whiskey, raspy vocal tracks on this flawlessly self-produced album.
“I am a songwriter first and foremost. The songs are important lyrically and melodically to me. Traditional Americana with a wide appeal is mainly what I do,” says Wilson in a recent phone conversation.
Wilson was recognized and won “best songwriting” by All Access magazine. Wilson was fortunate to hook up with filmmaker John Carpenter who utilized Wilson’s song, “Teaser.” The song was the only song on the soundtrack with lyrics and vocals, and was prominently featured in Carpenter’s movie, “Vampires”.
“The movie started as a regular John Carpenter film and then it bolted to the number one movie in America. We ended up winning a Saturn award for the soundtrack, which is a bit like winning the Oscar for the Fantasy/Horror Science Fiction portion of the academy.”
Many of Wilson’s songs are about his travels on the road and tours that have taken him throughout the United States.“The most important thing to me is being lucky enough to play the guitar. It’s not about anything other than being super lucky to pick up the guitar and rip,” claims Wilson.
Wilson has been greatly influenced by the Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton,
Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Jeff Beck. He has performed as an opener for Paula Cole, Cheap Trick, .38 Special, Cinderella, Dokken and blues greats such as Coco Montoya and Lynwood Slim.
Wilson is inspired to craft a song just by simply seeing a guitar and then he begins to get ideas. “I have guitars laying around my apartment and as soon as I pick one up I start getting bits and pieces of a song idea. For a song to be good it stays or rattles in my head for quite a while. Over a period of time the song will evolve into being completed. One of my favorite things to do is to sit down and write.”
This blues-rock CD is a collection of songs highlighting Wilson’s strong ability as a singer and songwriter of blues-rock music.
For the first track “Black Coffee at Sunrise,” Wilson read an article about Hank Williams Sr. that stated how Williams Sr. would tour America in a big Cadillac’s from gig to gig running them into the ground. Then they would buy a new one where they would have a convoy. “This was pre-Elvis. I was thinking that Hank Williams Sr. would be up all night trying to get to the next gig using big Cadillac’s to get to the show. Those fifties Cadillac’s with those giant fins and huge trunks that would hold all their gear. I wrote this song just thinking about what it would be like on tour with Hank Williams Sr.”
“Got the Feeling,” this tune has pop appeal with a Doobie Brothers kind of vibe. “Freedom Highway runs between Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee. The road connects those two cities. We were playing a lot between those cities and we would get tired in the early part of the day, but in the latter afternoon, for some reason, you get an up feeling cause you know you’re going to perform,” says Wilson.
“The Healer,” is a get down blues track with a Jimi Hendrix sound. The song has an insane guitar riff where Wilson really rips it up. “I like to work in a trio format, just bass and drums behind me, because if I decide to uncork and go off on the lead guitar I have room to do that. There are no keyboards or support guitar to effect the scales, notes, and riffs,” claims Wilson.
The eighth track “All Kinds of a Fool,” Wilson says he is a major blues fan. “I love Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and BB King. I wanted to write in a blues format and “All Kinds of a Fool” is in a minor key. It gives me a chance to play a blues feel. Lyrically, love is a crazy thing and just when you think it’s not the most important thing in your life you realize that you’re being foolish. If you’re lucky enough to be in love then that’s the most important thing.”
Track ten, “Southern Cali Girl,” “I wrote this song on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston. I was sitting across the isle from two young lovely ladies from Southern California. I couldn’t help but notice how in all of the people on their way to Boston you could sure tell the girls from Southern Cali.” Wilson contends that Southern California is a wonderful part of the US. It has its own distinct vibe with all the beaches, sunshine, Sunset Strip and Hollywood.
“I think that possibly Marilyn Monroe might have been one of the first Southern Cali girls. She graduated from Hollywood High. She’s the Southern Cali girl that started the thing that is still going on today.”
Wilson had the good fortune to get some airplay of his new solo CD by Los Angeles based radio station KLOS that devoted thirty minutes of their radio programming time to feature Wilson’s disc. Radio stations in Belgium, Australia and Canada are just getting to the CD as the momentum is building.
Brad Wilson is a precise guitar player with his own distinctive style and tone. As a songwriter Wilson is a great storyteller and wordsmith. His lovely whiskey, raspy vocals pulls the listener into his songs and his attack on the lead guitar is nothing but sheer excellence. An impressive debut Brad Wilson’s CD delivers the goods.
http://www.bradwilsonlive.com
Susie Salva
Susie@westcoastrockers.com
Related
Links:
Brad Wilson Official
Website
