We have the pleasure of sitting down with Brad Sevy! A talented musician, and we’re eager to dive into his world of music, creativity, and inspiration. Join us in this exclusive interview as we explore Brad’s artist journey, influences, and the stories behind his latest work. Can you tell us about your musical background and the pivotal moments that led you to pursue a career in music?
My background I think might be a little different from a lot of musicians. I started out as a Club DJ and then worked my way into working as a Music Supervisor over at Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. From there I met a lot of musicians from James Newton Howard to Danny Elfman. We hired Steve Porcaro from Toto as one of our composers and Jay Ferguson from Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne as another, Jay just finished 14 years as composer for NCIS: Los Angeles. Jay and I became good friends and started writing and recording songs together. One is “Faithful”, our last single and our Christmas song “What I Want for Christmas (Peace on Earth)”. Please add it to your Christmas playlist!!!!!
I kept falling into positions where music was needed along with a live band which came about when I started a Church called Living Love. I put together a band, a really good band and we started to record to help supplement the church. One thing led to another and here we are today. I will be honest about this, I do not think of myself as being on the same level of musicianship as the people I play with, I am just grateful that I can speak the same language and we can communicate in a way that we can write and create great songs together.
Could you share the story behind your latest release and what it means to you personally?
The latest release is called “Oh God You Are My God” from our soon to be released self titled album “Living Love” which is a cover version of Fernando Ortega’s song. His version is a very soft piano vocal piece. We first did the song the same way because it is just so beautiful but when we looked back on it as part of the album as a whole it needed something different so it would fit with the album. I had always heard it as a synth driven song with violin backing up the vocals. So we reworked it and had an amazing violin part added by Megan Shung. What was really cool about recording the violin part was that I just told Magen what I wanted and man, she just laid that track down with so much feeling and emotion. What a joy to work with her. The other joy on this song was with Laren White’s singing. What I loved most about her vocals on this song was how she just knew what each word meant when she sang and it comes across so beautifully in this track. She left her whole soul in that vocal. We recorded the vocals and violin in the sanctuary of Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, CA and Lauren informed me that Fernando Ortega, who wrote the song, was once a member of this same church. I thought that was pretty cool.
Are there specific themes, emotions, or experiences that inspire your music?
Love. God’s love for us. That’s what this album is about. Love. With all of the clutter and messes that seem to be going on in the world at this time, I think we all need to take a moment and just be quiet and listen and feel how “Love actually is all around us.” And let Love, God guide us, instead of all the noise that is trying to take away our focus on what is really real in this world and that is Love. The Living Love album which drops on November 17th is all about Love. Not preachy, but it takes you to that special place where Love reigns. I just want everyone to be able to hear the album and let it take you on that special journey that the record takes you to.
With the ever-changing music landscape, how have you adapted to the digital age and the rise of streaming platforms?
Still trying to figure out the streaming thing. The digital age for a musician is a dream come true for creating. There are so many ways to make your own music now, it’s incredible.
What’s the most significant challenge you’ve faced while creating your latest album, and how did you overcome it?
The Living Love album was a seven year journey and labor of love. We can maybe add two more years to that since we finished the album right when the lock down hit. With the album taking such a long time to record, band members came and went. What I’m most grateful for was how Wayne Ingram, my Co-Producer and partner on the record stayed with the project. We grew close and have a real bond for this project and it would have never been completed if not for Wayne. With that being said we had a blast making the album and the environment was open and free for ideas and lots of creativity. We ended up working with some awesome musicians and vocalists and made a really really great record.
Many artists draw from personal experiences when writing songs. Is there a particular moment or event that inspired a track you’d like to share?
The last track on the album Doxology, I’ve never talked about this one before, well that track has been stuck in my head since 1998. I’ve always wanted to write a progressive rock kind of song so when we were charting out the album, (I’ll side step here a bit, the Living Love album is a concept album in a way that it takes you on a visit to a really cool church service, that starts with worship, then a sermon and ends with Doxology and a Benediction), I told Wayne here is how I wanted the song to go, I started singing all the parts, he got what I was going for and we put the song together. I even played the Mellotron part. Cool!
All of its parts: i. Roxology, ii. Exalted, iii. Doxology, & iv. Benediction all came together and were now out of my head and into Logic and finally Streaming and on CD.
In your music, do you address any important social or cultural issues? If so, what causes or messages are particularly meaningful to you?
Like we talked about earlier, getting away from the noise that the enemy is showering us with and turn it off and just listen for the Love God has for us everyday, every hour and every minute. He is always here for us whenever we decide to let Him in.
What’s next for you in your music career? Are there any upcoming projects or exciting developments that your fans can look forward to?
My dream is to play our Christmas song, “What I Want For Christmas (Peace on Earth)” on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. I’d also like to tour when the album comes out. I really think these songs will translate great live. I really think they can touch people’s hearts, and lives all in God’s name. I also have four songs ready to record for the next album, two with a full choir!
It has been an absolute pleasure delving into the world of this talented musician. We hope you enjoyed the insights into their creative process and journey. For the latest updates, follow them on their social media platforms and stay tuned for their upcoming releases!
Thank you for joining us today.
Artist’s Socials:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/livingloveband/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LivingLoveBand
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LivingLoveBand
Website: livingloveband.com/
Spotify:open.spotify.com/artist/5tEqf91tpb6G0HQGKeEcRp?si=j3yempbDTcCN-w8HpFHsyQ
E Mail: livingloveband.com/
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