D. S. Bradford

D. S. Bradford (born David Scott Bradford, December 10, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, performer, recording artist, vocalist, and guitarist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to being a MusicAL performer, Bradford is a visual artist whose works are mostly considered to be surrealism. An example of which is his album art for "Oceans," his debut single (released July 1, 2014).

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, his life started with a natural love of music and art that took ahold of him at an early age. Spurred by his parents, who were classical singers, as well as theatrical performers, Bradford developed first within the realm of visual art and illustration, then to vocal performance and guitar. This eventually lead to songwriting, with the ultimate goal of composing music for film and television.

Early career

Bradford started to write songs in 2007, while with his previous band, Certain Tragedy. In 2010, he had the opportunity to consult with award-winning artist development coach, songwriter, and A&R representative Jeff Blue (Linkin Park, et al.). Blue's critique and guidance helped Bradford to hone better songwriting techniques, song structure, and studio engineering, resulting in a better overall quality of music. Bradford subsequently joined BMI as a songwriter and officially started his solo career.

Live Performances

In 2010, Bradford performed live at venues under his full name throughout the Philadelphia region, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York City. Included were a handful of shows sponsored by Philadelphia rock radio station WMMR (93.3 FM). His last show, before a hiatus, took place on October 22, 2010 at Tin Angel, in Philadelphia.

Starting Over

After nearly two years of no participation in music, Bradford began writing again. In an interview with iMoveiLive Magazine, it was stated that the reason behind the lack of new material was due to the lack of honesty he felt his songs had and that he took a step back to reassess his goals and priorities in life, dismissing his previous songs completely to start fresh.

On January 8, 2012, "Oceans" was written and was completely recorded on January 23, 2012. Bradford revealed that this song was the catalyst that refreshed his songwriting and honest lyrical storytelling that sparked creativity and that would eventually lead to a full-length album within the realm of genuine representation of his own experiences.

Blending Art

In 2014, it was decided that "Oceans" would be released. Bradford had the idea to join the song with a visual piece of art, which ultimately became the album cover. The image depicts a scene of Earth, with the continents morphing into clasped hands, belonging to he and his fiancé, the oceans parting in the shape of a heart, revealing a sonogram image of their son. The drawing is a colored pencil rendering. Bradford has plans to create artwork for all of his releases.

Personal life

D. S. Bradford currently resides in Horsham, Pennsylvania, with his fiancé and son. His family is the subject of the art piece that represents "Oceans." Bradford credits his fiancé for supporting him during the time before his hiatus, when he became deluded in his reasons for becoming a professional musician.

Discography

Singles

• "Oceans" (Released July 1, 2014)