Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Young.
Brad, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I graduated Berklee College of Music in 1989 majoring in Music Production and Record Engineering. While working at various studios around Boston another Berklee graduate Dow Brain and I began working together producing tracks or “beats” for Rap, R&B and Pop projects. We began with a small room in Allston then moved to a larger spot in Needham in order to expand our studio to be able to record vocals and instruments, recording and mixing full projects rather than just the “beat”. One of our earliest clients was Danny Wood from New Kids On The Block who was producing and backing local Rap and Pop Artists. Our first production on a major label was on Marky Mark’s first record, “Last Song on Side B”, a Song we produced with Danny Wood. Then in 1999 we had our first major success with LFO, producing and co-writing the number 1 Single “Summer Girls”, as well as two other singles from their debut record. Around 2010 or so I started my own studio and Production Company “BKY Music”, Producing and Recording Artists in Rap, R&B, Pop and Rock Genres, and working on music and songs for various film and TV projects.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
After our success with the number #1 single Summer Girls in 2000 we had the opportunity to work with a few other new Artists signed to various labels but none of them broke or had the success that LFO did. We had been advised to move to New York or LA to really pursue our career but both Dow and I liked living in Boston and the local talent we were working with. I really wouldn’t change anything or my decision to stay in Boston, some of the Groups and Artists I work with today have been clients of mine for 15 or 20 years and I have worked at some point with many of the prominent R&B and Pop talents that have emerged from the Boston area since the 1990’s.
BKY Music – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
BKY Music is a recording studio and music production service, I do a variety of jobs from being a recording and mix engineer for bands and artists or producing the artists project as well, to writing and creating music for TV shows and media projects. In some cases an artists will come to me with an original song they have written, and I can provide every step of the process from creating the music or “track”, recording and producing the vocals to mixing and mastering the song. Recently many clients will purchase instrumentals or “tracks” from various internet sites, then come to me to record their song and help with the vocal production whether it be help with fine tuning the melody and lyrics, background vocal parts or creative ideas in the mixing process, whatever I can do to help realize the vision they are hearing in their head for their song. When I first started in the business if you wanted to record a song you had no choice but to go to a professional recording facility. Today with the affordable technology available many Artists are able to record and test their ideas with their home set-ups, without the pressure of being “on the clock”. When they are satisfied with everything they bring their files to me for the final mixing and processing, maybe some additional ideas and editing. This saves the Artist money and makes their projects affordable, yet still achieves the same professional results. I feel mostly what keeps clients coming back to me is my guidance in achieving good lead vocals and vocal production in general, and in a time efficient manner.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Working as a Musician/Music Producer and continuing to make a living doing what I love to do for all these years I would consider a success for myself, as well as the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment after completing a project or song with an Artist, or hearing my track used in a TV series episode, that can really be a great sense of success.
Contact Info:
- Address: Needham, MA.
- Website: bkymusic.com
- Phone: 781-444-2326
- Email: bkymusic@gmail.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BKY-Music-945856948784072/
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