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
La La La
Brad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get this feeling when I wake up late at night
Yeah you know, you ever wake up
And just a-frightened feeling down in your soul?
And you know you're gonna find pretty love most of the time
I don't give a damn either way
'cause pretty soon you're gonna be with us
There's no prison, hate, hunger, or greed
You can come on over until you can see
Woke up and ? made me
Yes, and sometimes that's gonna break me
It's so cold and lonely, and I just need some sun
So whatcha gonna do
When it seems like everything's comin' after you?
You just gotta dig in your heals again (again, again, again)
'cause pretty soon you're gonna be with us
And the lights are gonna shine on us
There's no prison, hate, hunger, or greed
You can come along until you, you'll see
You need to come bury your, go bury your favorite toys
Very own, your very own favorite toys
And I don't know what anybody's gonna say
If this whole thing just goes up and blows away
Yeah, I know you listen to what you heard
But you didn't hear a word
Oh it's pleasant sometimes
So satisfying to spend this time with you
'cause pretty soon you're gonna be with us
And the lights are gonna shine on us
There's no prison, hate, hunger, or greed
You can come along until you, you'll see
La la la
La la la
? this one time you'll see
Yeah you never think ? me
'cause the lights are gonna shine on us
Yeah the lights are gonna shine on us
The lyrics in Brad's song "La La La" convey a message of hope and comfort in the face of fear and uncertainty. The opening lines describe a feeling of dread that can come in the middle of the night, but the chorus offers a promise that soon everything will be okay. The repetition of the phrase "pretty soon you're gonna be with us" implies a sense of inclusion and community that can provide a sense of belonging and safety. The lyrics offer a contrast between the darkness of the current moment and the brightness of the future where there is no "prison, hate, hunger, or greed."
The lyrics also suggest a message of resilience and perseverance. Even when things seem to be falling apart, the message is to "dig in your heels" and keep going because a better future is coming. The line "you need to come bury your favorite toys" could be interpreted as a metaphor for letting go of the things that hold us back and moving forward towards a better future. The final lines of the song reinforce this message of hope and optimism, with the repeated refrain "the lights are gonna shine on us."
Overall, Brad's song "La La La" is a message of comfort and hope in the face of adversity. The lyrics suggest that even in the darkest moments, there is a promise of a better tomorrow if we just hold on and keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I get this feeling when I wake up late at night
There are times when I wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious and nervous.
Yeah you know, you ever wake up
And just a-frightened feeling down in your soul?
Have you ever felt a sense of fear deep inside your soul when you woke up at night?
And you know you're gonna find pretty love most of the time
I don't give a damn either way
'cause pretty soon you're gonna be with us
And no lights are gonna shine on us
There's no prison, hate, hunger, or greed
You can come on over until you can see
Most of the time, we will find the love we seek. Regardless, it is irrelevant to me because soon, we will all be together as one without any negativity in this world, such as prisons, hate, hunger or greed. You are welcome to join us and see for yourself.
Woke up and ? made me
Yes, and sometimes that's gonna break me
It's so cold and lonely, and I just need some sun
I woke up with a feeling that something is missing, and that feeling can be overwhelming at times. It can be difficult to bear and make me feel lonely, dark and cold, making me crave some light and warmth.
So whatcha gonna do
When it seems like everything's comin' after you?
You just gotta dig in your heals again (again, again, again)
What do you do when it feels like everything is working against you? You need to dig deep, push harder and keep going despite the challenges.
'cause pretty soon you're gonna be with us
And the lights are gonna shine on us
There's no prison, hate, hunger, or greed
You can come along until you, you'll see
Again, the message that soon we'll all be together, and there won't be any negativity in the world. You are welcome to join us and experience it firsthand.
You need to come bury your, go bury your favorite toys
Very own, your very own favorite toys
It is time to let go of the things that hold you back and bring you down. It is time to bury your favorite toys and move on.
And I don't know what anybody's gonna say
If this whole thing just goes up and blows away
Yeah, I know you listen to what you heard
But you didn't hear a word
I am not sure how others would react if everything crumbles down one day. They might say whatever they want, but sometimes they have not understood what I have said.
Oh it's pleasant sometimes
So satisfying to spend this time with you
'cause pretty soon you're gonna be with us
And the lights are gonna shine on us
There's no prison, hate, hunger, or greed
You can come along until you, you'll see
It is always satisfying and enjoyable to spend time with you. Again, the message that soon we'll all be together, and there won't be any negativity in the world. You are welcome to join us and experience it firsthand.
La la la
La la la
Repeated music lyrics used to end/start the song.
? this one time you'll see
Yeah you never think ? me
'cause the lights are gonna shine on us
Yeah the lights are gonna shine on us
I promise you that you'll see the world differently one day. Despite your misbelief in me now, the lights will shine on us and bring us together.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ESHAM SMITH, MICHAEL PUWAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind