Music is a window into the soul, and Brandon Wade is looking out of that window, searching for where his soul belongs. Using it as a poetic journal, he hopes to find out more about himself, as well as the world around him through his music.
2021 has been an eye-opening year. In the aftermath of 2020, introspection was required for so many people. For Brandon Wade, the past 18 months have forced him to look deep into the meaning of his relationships, mental and physical health, and place in society. As he searches for the answers to these situations, he uses his music to process and chronicle his experiences.
Coming at his listeners with a beautifully crafted single titled, “How to Love,” the piano forward ballad introduces us to a zealous surplus of grippingly raw emotion. Honing in on the empowering overlay of the chord progressions heard in the instrumentation, we find ourselves drifting into an almost ethereal realm of thought-provoking resonance.
Brandon Wade’s intimate timbres reflect on a narrative that concludes his past mistakes, and lessons learned in the themes of love. The manner in which his soothing vocals cascade through heavenly notes in order to portray the grand scheme of vulnerability that he offers up is rather breathtaking. Through layers of harmonious bliss, you hear the sincerity dripping from each lyrical motif that Brandon Wade conveys, as the poetic essence of his songwriting techniques acts as a letter to the one that he couldn’t keep in his endearing reach.
What we admire the most about this profound masterpiece has to be the fact that Brandon Wade croons these heartrending lyrics where his vocals can be heard in the front and center of the top-tier mix. Keeping the tantalizing hues of the musical foundation rather minimalistic, our attention can be devoted to the sentiments expressed in the earnest showcase of Brandon Wade’s self-reflections.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Brandon Wade, and congratulations on the release of “How to Love.” We love the display of emotion that you convey through your vulnerability. With such personal thoughts and feelings being dissected, was there a particular moment or story that allowed you to open up the way you have on this track?
I have always wondered how relationships end. As a kid, I would see a lot of couples come and go and it seemed strange to me that people who claim to love each other just stop one day. When I started writing "How To Love", it began as an answer to that question. It may not be that there was no love in the relationship; it could simply be that the love was not enough to keep them together. There is so much more to being with someone than simply having feelings for them. You have to make the effort to truly get to know them and sacrifice a little of yourself to make room for them. If either of you is not willing to do this, the relationship will not succeed. With "How to Love", I looked back at the beginning of the relationship to ask myself, "why didn't this work?" If I truly felt love for them, what happened to where we ended up in this situation? Was the love a lie? I think that is the biggest question I have had to ask myself regarding this song. Could you please take us into the creative process that brought this record to life? Did you have to transport yourself to various states of mind, or did this song flow fairly easily to you?
This is one of the few songs I have written that started off as a chord progression. I was playing around with chords on the piano and as I played I could hear phrases in my head. That's where the opening line came from. From there much of the song came together rather fast. Once I had a theme in mind, the words pretty much wrote themselves. Your vocals are outstanding! We felt that we could digest each word shed in such a meaningful way. Have you ever taken vocal lessons along the way of your artistic journey? Where did your ear for music originally stem from?
I have never had one-on-one vocal lessons. I have been a part of some award-winning choirs under the direction of extremely gifted directors. I went to school for music performance and composition and I have a lot of that to thank for my ear. But, even before college, I have always loved harmonizing and singing. I have been blessed to work with some very talented musicians and teachers that have given me invaluable knowledge regarding music, harmonizing, and other techniques involving music that I use in my vocals and other parts of my productions. What is your mission statement as an artist? How do you ensure that comes across in each move that you make?
My mission statement as an artist is to inspire those who may feel alone. For many years, I have been a shy person, scared of branching out in the world for fear I wouldn't find anyone or anything to relate to. It has been through music that I have learned that many of my experiences are shared throughout the world. Lyrics are powerful devices. The way that some artists embrace their surroundings captivates me as an artist and one day I hope to be able to light to someone who can listen to my music and understand that there are others out there who go through similar things. These hindrances and struggles don't have to define or control us, but we can use them to find out the best parts of ourselves. Do you have any other releases planned for the summer season?
I am still working on several projects at the moment and would love to be able to put out another song before the end of the summer. But, I am being very careful not to force anything and not to do too much too soon. Burnout is a real struggle, especially among new artists, and I would love to be able to enjoy putting music out for years to come rather than just a few months. There will be new music so stay tuned.