Brad Fielder
What's been going on in your world and circles lately?
We recently moved out of the University neighborhood into a much more quiet, less condensed area of town(Norman). It's definitely a whole new world for my family and I. We can actually enjoy a peaceful evening without off-campus frat parties raging all around us until well past midnight. There's a huge yard for the boy and the dog to go wild in and my wife has the space to produce the subsistence garden she's been wanting. I finally have a studio/shop space detached from the house where I can work on musical projects without disturbing the household. We're loving it all around.
All photos in this interview were acquired from Brad Fielder’s Instagram account
Anything in particular you've been working on?
Taking advantage of the detached work space, I've been able to really start producing song videos. Nothing real fancy or full production scale, just creating visual content to keep up with the modern world. I only had about 10 videos on my YouTube page for the longest time. I gotta rack up views and subscribers so people(bookers & talent buyers) really think I am somebody, right?!
Any stories you want to share?
One time when I was 18, a friend and I decided to take my 1976 Ford Pinto offroading outside of Enid, Oklahoma. I ended up hitting a rut so deep, it pushed the fan into the radiator and knocked the car out of commission. All we had with us was most of a two liter of Best Choice brand Strawberry soda so we poured that into the radiator for whatever reason. Needless to say, it did nothing to help the car or our situation. The Pinto had a standard transmission so I put it in neutral and we were able to push the car out of the rut and over to the side of the road. This was back before cellphones fit in your pocket so we had to walk back toward town however many miles to find a pay phone. If I remember correctly, he had the quarter so it was his parents who got the call. His dad came and picked us up and gave us the shit talking we deserved on the ride back home. That was stupid. Don't do dumb shit like that.
Future thing you are looking forward to?
Like a lot of folks who do what I do, I'm really looking forward to getting back out to playing shows and being able to share the live music experience with people in the flesh. I've done quite a few virtual shows over the last year and it just doesn't provide the stimulation and instant feedback that artists need.
Favorite bands / albums lately?
I've been stuck on a Hasil Adkins kick lately, celebrating his entire catalog. All his shit from the late 50's up to the mid 2000's just does it for me like nothing else. The shitty production, the one-man-band style, that proto-psychobilly West Virginia holler country wackiness. I love it. That was the kind of music I wanted to make when I first started playing shows at age 18. Before I knew anything about him or that style, I at least knew it was a thing that existed and wanted to do it. So, now going on 25 years later, here I am back to doing the one-man-band thing and cranking up some Hasil Adkins to keep me motivated.
Poem?
The poor man must protect to be paid
The rich man will pay to be protected
A rich man's money is used to collect interest
A poor man's money has interest in being collected
Visual artists (or whatever people) you've been digging lately?
My good friend, painter, and overthinker, J. Chris Johnson continues to amaze me. As far as pure talent and real, true skill goes, he is one of, if not the best painter I've ever come in contact with. He could be perfectly executing Rembrandt forgeries that would fool fine galleries if he wanted to but, he's got his own agenda and just paints because he has to. He also makes the most realistic pencil sketches on Post-It notes just to pass time when he's bored. Dude is in his own league around here and I'm not even trying to hate on or disrespect anybody else when I say that. We also bond over 90's hip hop and skateboarding so, that's some solid glue. Check him out if you appreciate fine oil technique, striking visuals, and true artistry.
Check out music and more by Brad Fielder on his website:
Preorders for Brad Fielder’s “Luck & Money” T-shirt design are open until May 27th (end of day)
Available in white ink on a black shirt or black ink on a red shirt. Click here to purchase one!
