Carter Brady is an American musician and singer-songwriter whose love of performing is relentless. Raised in the small town of Pelham, NY just outside NYC, there is just something about his musicianship and ability to take any kind of music and be able to do something unique with it. Having been fortunate enough to have recorded with and performed in over 10 different bands and ensembles over the past decade, he has managed to find success in the indie music world.
Carter has been featured in a wide variety of article publications, music blogs, podcasts, and online radio stations, including Under the Radar, BuzzMusic, Rock Era Magazine, Indie Criollo, Music and Fashion Blog, Last Day Deaf, Bridge Music Magazine, DJLILICAY’s “Hey I Made This” Twitch show stream, Elder Brycen’s “I Like Your Style” podcast, EJazz Radio, IMA Star Baby, The Sounds Won’t Stop, Volatile Weekly, BWHMG Indie, Rock N’ Load Mag, Music Update Central, The Girl at The Rock Shows, The Morning Stream podcast, Adam Marx’s Mind, Pelham Weekly, Pelham Plus, Pelham Examiner, and Pelham Patch.
Known for his versatility in a wide variety of instruments (guitar, vocals, bass guitar, drums, piano, synthesizer, ukulele, mandolin) and styles ranging from all forms of rock, blues, jazz, and recently LoFi with his new side project North Village, Carter has received positive feedback from artists like William Goldsmith of Foo Fighters and Sunny Day Real Estate, Grady Owens (engineer for Yeasayer, Kim Gordon, etc.; performed live with Nada Surf, Mastodon, etc.), Franz Stahl of Scream and Foo Fighters, Aaron Comess of Spin Doctors, Joey Pecoraro, Quinn Sullivan, and many others.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I have gone through different phases of songwriting and have had different focusses and directions I’ve taken depending on what I am working on at that very moment in time. I spent a lot of time on jazz when I was studying jazz guitar in college, but since graduating I have since shifted back to my rock roots and am making music that is a cross between modern American indie rock and 90’s influenced alternative rock.
What is your creative process like?
Ever since I have been writing my own songs, I have found that most of them tend to come out of nowhere. I usually start a song with a guitar riff, and from there I try to come up with a drum groove that fits with that. Because singing and lyric writing has always been my weakness, I tend to write the melody and lyrics after the fact. I have definitely gotten better at writing lyrics as of late, but I still just try to write lyrics that fit well with the music and sound good. Although I think I tend to start it with a guitar riff, my music process definitely changes from time to time. Sometimes a melody will pop into my head and I will go record a voice memo of me singing it on my phone, and then leave it be for a while. I sometimes pair riffs and chord progressions together when I figure out that they could sound good together, and other times I come up with something after listening to a song I really like. But very rarely do I come up with the lyrics, song title or concept first.
Are you finding the isolation of the pandemic conducive to your writing or is it hindering the experiences you can write about?
While I do not consider myself to be a professional musician, I will always keep music a major part of my life. I like to call it a serious hobby, although there are times (like right now) where I consider myself to be playing music professionally and prioritizing it over many other parts of my life. Given the pandemic and everything going on, I have been able to take advantage of certain aspects and make them into positives, such as having more time to focus on music.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
To the fans that have supported me since the very beginning and over the years, I just want to say thank you for sticking with me and for caring about my music and wanting me to succeed. I encourage you to tell your family and friends to check out my website carterbradymusic.com, my Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and other sites where my music is on.
Where have you performed? What is your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
I have been fortunate to have performed at several bars, outdoor venues, local fundraiser theater houses, and even football stadiums for marching band halftime shows (I was the first guitar in Furman’s The Paladin Regiment during my freshman year). I most recently performed with my friend’s band at Tootsies Orchid Lounge on Broadway in Nashville which is definitely the biggest venue I’ve played at so far. My favorite venue has to be hands down The Pumphouse, a local college bar in Greenville, SC that my self-formed rock band, Duck Pond, performed last December during my senior year at Furman. The crowd, mostly friends I knew and also a mixture of Greenville locals, really got into it and really liked the setlist we played. I honestly have never really had any bad experiences with venues so mostly positive.
Which famous musicians do you admire?
As far as recently, I definitely admire Snail Mail and Soccer Mommy and what they have been able to accomplish in the lofi indie rock/neo-grunge genre, and I think they deserve even more popularity than they have gotten already. Both Lindsey Jordan and Sophie Allison are awesome singers with amazing (ability?) for melody and writing familiar but unique chord progressions. They created a name (an alias really) for themselves and were able to make their music stand out, which I really respect in today’s age where less people are expecting new and unique rock music and listen to more mainstream pop stuff.
What’s next for you?
I am going to continue to make music no matter what, and I actually have another batch of songs I have been working on alongside finishing my album ‘Blue Reverb’ that I am excited to release down the line. Hopefully sometime this spring! Music for me has always been a serious hobby, so even though it would be cool to become indie famous and get to tour and be under a label, my plans are to go to graduate school and once finished find a steadier job in digital media marketing or something. However, because we are in trying times and I have been working a couple remote contract video and music jobs, I have had more time to spend making music. Because of this, I have been and will continue to invest in promoting and marketing my new album and see how it does. Even though I’m not necessarily going to take it professional, it would still be cool to get some recognition in the form of streams and radio airplay and also a potential sync licensing deal with an agency or supervisor that could reel in some royalties for years to come.
How would you describe your music?
A little over a year ago, I began experimenting with different guitar tones and patterns and found this really cool octave rhythm progression that almost reminded me of a Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream sound. I am someone who loves a big sound, particularly in the guitars, so that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve come to appreciate a more clean tone and style as well, and you can definitely hear that in some of the songs from my upcoming album. I really try to get that punchy and powerful rock sound, while also finding a middle ground that isn’t too piercing and unsatisfying for more modern listeners.
You are a new addition to a crayon box. What colour would you be and why?
Well first off, I’m color blind so my ability to identify colors is a bit impaired haha. But my favorite color has always been yellow for some reason so I would most likely pick that one. I also think yellow is a bright and feel-good color, and I am someone who always tries to be upbeat and happy so I think that the yellow would translate to that in the form of a sun or something.
What would be the ideal food to have cooked for you on a date night?
I can eat pretty much anything, but I would have to say a well-cooked veal chop cutlet with mozzarella and marinara sauce.
Which is cooler? Dinosaurs or Dragons?
I loved the show “Land Before Time” growing up so I will have to say Dinosaurs!
What would you bring along to an idyllic picnic?
You’ve got to have some nice homemade cookies, and perhaps some freshly squeezed lemonade and deli sandwiches from a local place.
What’s your favourite children’s story?
I don’t know if I ever had a favorite, but I always loved the Harold and the Purple Crayon books.
