Brad, from Seattle, Washington, USA, formed officially in 1992 (though the … Read Full Bio ↴Brad, from Seattle, Washington, USA, formed officially in 1992 (though the members had been playing together for a long time before that) and in 1993 released their debut album Shame. Brad included 4 friends from the Seattle area who are musicians, including Stone Gossard (of Pearl Jam fame), Regan Hagar (former member of an early grunge band Malfunkshun), Shawn Smith (also a member of Pigeonhed and Satchel) and Jeremy Toback also of ONS.
While often considered simply a side-project of Stone's, Brad had a sound all their own, due to the wide variety of influences brought to the band by its members. The distinctive vocals of Shawn Smith are a major factor in this sound.

Shawn Smith contributed on the title-track for the Belgian group Arsenal on their album Lotuk. He spent his 2008 summer touring along with the band.

Origin Seattle, Washington, USA
Genre(s) Alternative rock, neo-psychedelia
Years active 1992–present
Label(s) Epic, Redline
Associated acts Malfunkshun, Pearl Jam, Satchel, Pigeonhed
Website www.bradcorporation.com
Members
Stone Gossard
Regan Hagar
Shawn Smith
Jeremy Toback
Mike Berg

* History

Brad formed officially in 1992, although the band members had been playing together for a long time before that. The band's line-up was composed of vocalist Shawn Smith, guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeremy Toback, and drummer Regan Hagar. The band originally wanted to go by the name Shame, however the band found that the name was already taken by a band featuring musician Brad Wilson.[1] Instead, the band took the name Brad and decided to name its debut album Shame. Shame, released on April 27, 1993, was recorded in roughly 20 days, with many tracks taken from in-studio jam sessions. Shame, featuring a raw sound and an eclectic mix of styles, was released to mixed reviews and moderate sales.[2] The track "20th Century" was a minor hit in the UK.

The band's follow-up album, Interiors, released on June 24, 1997, was much more polished. Interiors was met with poor sales, however the band saw its cult audience expand.[2] The single from Interiors, "The Day Brings", features Mike McCready from Pearl Jam on lead guitar. The album was accompanied by a tour in the United States that same year, as well as a small tour in Australia and New Zealand in 1998.

A third album, Welcome to Discovery Park, was released on August 13, 2002. The recording of Welcome to Discovery Park saw contributions from Mike Berg, who had taken over as the touring bassist for Toback.[2] The album mixes the rawness of Shame and the polished, produced sound of Interiors. In July 2005, the band released an album of unreleased and incomplete Brad and Satchel tracks called Brad vs Satchel.

As of January 2006, the band's fourth studio album, tentatively titled Best Friends, had been recorded and was being pared down to a 13-track release.[3] As of September 2007, the album was still awaiting release as the band reunited for a small series of live performances, starting in October 2007, with Kevin Wood (of Malfunkshun) joining the band as an additional guitarist. To date, there has been no indication as to whether this is a permanent personnel move or just a temporary addition. Songs from the forthcoming Best Friends album were played at the 2007 and 2008 performances, but there was no announcement as to when the album would be released.

Shawn Smith unfortunately passed away on April 3rd, 2019.

Current members

* Stone Gossard – guitar
* Regan Hagar – drums
* Shawn Smith – keyboard, vocals
* Jeremy Toback – bass guitar
* Mike Berg – bass guitar (1997–present)

Additional personnel

* James Hall – guitar, keyboard (1997)
* Matt Brown – guitar, keyboard (1997)
* Elizabeth Pupo-Walker – percussion (2001–2002)
* Thaddeus Turner – guitars, bass (2001–2002)
* Kevin Wood – guitar (2007–present)

Studio albums
Year Album details
1993 Shame

* Released: April 27, 1993
* Label: Epic
* Format: CD, cassette (CS)

1997 Interiors

* Released: June 24, 1997
* Label: Epic
* Format: CD, CS

2002 Welcome to Discovery Park

* Released: August 13, 2002
* Label: Redline
* Format: CD

Compilations
Year Album details
2005 Brad vs Satchel

* Released: July 26, 2005
* Label: The Establishment Store
* Format: CD

Singles
Year Single UK peak
chart position
[4] Album
1993 "Screen"/"Buttercup" — Shame
"20th Century" 64
1997 "The Day Brings" — Interiors
"Secret Girl" —
2003 "La, La, La" — Welcome to Discovery Park
"Shinin'" —
"Revolution" —
"—" denotes singles that did not chart.

Notes and references

1. ^ Gumbuoy. "Hang Out In Discovery Park With Brad". fasterlouder.com.au. September 27, 2005.
2. ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas and Torreano, Bradley. "Brad". Allmusic. Retrieved on January 31, 2009.
3. ^ Prato, Greg. "Brad Finishing Up Fourth Album". Billboard. January 18, 2006.
4. ^ "UK Singles & Albums Chart Archive — Brad". http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=6825. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.

External links

* Brad's official website
* Brad at MySpace
* Brad at Allmusic
* Brad at Last.fm

Down
Brad Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Get down give me all you got
Put the cash in the bag yo I need a lot
I need a whip and I need a job
Now hurry up go quick I hear the cops
No I don't want to work for a living
You gotta pay the price if you wanna make a killing
Don't talk don't move don't know what I'll do
If I make it out this building imma pray lord willing nah

I'm a poor man living in a rich world
Take what I can but it ain't enough
Don't think there's any saving you in this world
Just give me the gas and I'll burn it to the ground
No time for conversation
I'm about to lose my patience
I hardly ever make a dollar and I don't ever make rent I don't even make cents
I've never played the villain before but now I'm dancing with the devil on the center floor
If you don't move it imma lose it put the money in the bag
Yeah I know the cops are coming
But I'm sneaking out the back
I'm a poor man living in a rich world
Take what I can but it ain't enough
Don't think there's any saving you in this world
Just give me the gas and watch me burn it to the ground
Watch me burn it down
Give me the gas
And I'll burn it down
I'm a poor man living in a rich world
Take what I can but it ain't enough
Don't think there's any saving you in this world
Just give me the gas
I'm a poor man living in a rich world
Take what I can but it ain't enough
Don't think there's any saving you in this world

Just give me the gas and watch me burn it to the ground
Watch me burn it to the ground

Overall Meaning

Brad's song "Down" is a motivational track that attempts to uplift its listeners when they feel discouraged or depressed. The song's opening lyrics encourage people to look around whenever they are feeling low, implying that there is always a reason to smile or be happy. Everything someone says to put them down or discourage them will not stop them from chasing their dreams. The song's upbeat melody and easy-to-remember lyrics make it an ideal track to sing along with.

The chorus of the song reassures the listener that if they always think life is hard on them, it will not help their situation. Instead, they should stop and consider where that mentality is leading them. The song urges the listener to take control of their own positive outlook on life, and emphasizes that they always have a reason to be optimistic.

Brad's repeated refrain of "Oh dee oh dee oh" throughout the song adds to the uplifting energy of the track. It creates a sense of community among everyone who hears the song, making them feel united in finding a reason to be happy. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer encouraging his audience to keep looking around for signs of joy and refusing to give up hope in the face of difficulty.

Line by Line Meaning

Anytime you're feelin' down
When you're feeling sad

All you have to do is look around
Just observe your surroundings

Oh dee oh dee oh
Refrain

Everything she says to you
Her words

Cannot prevent your dreams from coming true
Cannot stop you from achieving your aspirations

She's walking out your door again
She's leaving you again

She says you two were through
She has ended the relationship

But if she cannot understand
If she cannot comprehend

What more can you do
What else is there to be done?

Seems you have everything
It appears as though you possess all

All you need's a reason to believe
You just need a cause for faith