Braden Bales Talks His New Single “I’ve Got It Bad” and More
Braden Bales, Photo By Jackson Mcmurdo
Braden Bales is a name that will be popping up on all of your playlists soon. Bales is an energetic soul who has mastered channeling his sad experiences into therapeutic and beautiful sounds. His music will make you feel all emotions and leave you wanting more. He currently has over 13,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and they continue to grow each day. Continue reading to hear all about his journey with music and his new single “I’ve Got It Bad.”
How old are you and where are you from?
“I am 20 years old and I am from Toronto, Canada.”
When did you first get involved in making music?
“I was 14 years old when I started making music. When I started to play and sing music I was younger. My family is all very musical and so when I started, I was very young. But making my own music, I was 14 years old.”
Do you think being a musician is something you have always wanted to do or is there something that made you feel like this is what you were meant to do?
“Yeah, so I wanted to be a businessman. My whole life I was like I am going to go into business and do that. Then in high school, in grade nine when I was 14 I started writing. I posted one of the songs I made onto SoundCloud and it did really well in my hometown. Everybody knew the song and stuff. That feeling of turning something sad into something that a lot of people identified with and connect with was something that felt amazing. From that moment on I was like I’m doing this no matter what.”
What would you say is your favorite song you have released and why?
“I would say ‘I Found Your Sweatshirt’ is my personal favorite that I’ve released. It was the first one I released at the time that was really slow. It is one of the most meaningful. Every moment of that song is planned out. There are so many little subtle things that I put there that only I know because I have listened to it over and over while making it. It is definitely my favorite because of all of those little intricate details.”
When making a song do you start with creating a melody or the lyrics?
“Lyrics first. I will always start with a loop, a chord progression. Then I’ll write a whole song on that. After that, I produce it all myself. But doing that lets me really produce the song and add those details.”
Can you tell me about your latest single, “I’ve Got It Bad”?
““I’ve Got It Bad” was really interesting because I wrote it less than a month ago. The morning after I wrote it I was like ‘this needs to go on Tik Tok’ and I posted it. The video is at like 10,000 views now. It received an instant reaction and people loved it, and it was also something very personal to me. I think that the shocking first line is what hooks people into the song. Everybody has asked me to release this song, so I figured why not put it ahead of schedule? This is the quickest release I have done. Just writing it, making it, and dropping it all within under a month.”
What is your favorite line from “I’ve Got It Bad”?
“So, it’s either in the second verse or it is the opening line. ‘I had her choke me to feel you’ ropes people in and I like that because it is so aggressive and honest. I‘d say that one but there’s also a line from the second verse. It goes, ‘I think our love would be golden’ and the next line starts with ‘you guys are bronze.’ I like how that plays together. But, I think the opening line might be my favorite. That’s probably the most aggressive I’ve been with any of my lyrics and the rawest.”
If you could collaborate with any musician who would it be?
“Recently, I would say Levi Roth. I think he’s a dope new artist. He is probably my favorite new artist right now. In terms of just anyone though, probably Jeremy Zucker. He’s been my inspiration for a long time. He is overall a huge source of inspiration for my production and the way that I work as well.”
What advice would you give to someone trying to make it in the music industry?
“I would say put in the hours. It is important to really care about your craft and be a master of it. You can’t get better unless you’re willing to put those hours into the music creation. It’s really easy to get caught up in making quick things because it’s fast-paced. But, I think for somebody to really have a successful career and not just a moment they need to first learn how to make meaningful art for themselves. After that is figuring out how to play the game of social media. But making music that really matters to you and that you care about that is most important. It takes time and you need to put that time in. I think that’s what creates longevity.”
If you could leave your fans with one message what would it be?
“I would want my fans to know that it’s very important to sit in your emotions. I think a lot of people feel like you shouldn’t when you’re sad. You know, you don’t want to feel sad and start feeling sad but I think to live a life where you’re happy all the time is tough. You need to let yourself experience those sad emotions. That’s something I feel not a lot of people do, is really embrace the bad emotion, acknowledge it, and then move on. That is a big takeaway of how I’ve dealt with my stuff and would want my fans to as well. You need to experience those low lows to have those high highs as well.”
Listen to Braden Bales new single “I’ve Got It Bad” below!