Contemporary christian artist, Brad Irons!
Where did you grow up? I am a Texoman, having spent most of my life in those two states. Arlington, Belton, and Temple, Texas. Lawton, Norman, and Oklahoma City. We moved a lot. I attended six elementary schools, two junior high schools and four high schools.
What inspired you to get into music? I was a horrible singer as a kid. But my family all sung like angels. A guy came to our church and said that he felt God wanted to use me in music. The whole room laughed, including me. I forgot all about what he said as I continued on with life. Then four events changed everything.
First, my mom used to collect musical instruments at garage sales. Even though no one in the family played anything, mom would keep them around just in case. One day, while rummaging through the closet, something fell on my head. It was the Roy Clark Big Note Guitar Book. It seemed interesting so I went and grabbed one of the broken five string guitars mom had and tried to figure out the chords. In no time, I was strumming some basic stuff.
Second, I tried to sign up for choir at the school, but got the course number wrong. I ended up in Music Theory. The teacher asked me to stay because if I left, he wouldn’t have enough students in the class. So I stayed and found that I really enjoyed it. It also helped me understand the guitar. I began spending my free time writing out chord relations and the circle of fifths. It was fascinating. I still use it to help learn new instruments.
Third, I had two Native American friends who began traveling and singing and invited me to bring my guitar and play with them. I wasn’t actually good enough, but I loved hanging out with them. So I signed on. I picked up any instrument they needed, from guitar, to bass, to piano, to drums. I would use my theory, to learn enough about each to make me functional.
Lastly, I saw an artist named Billy Crockett, in concert. His opening act was a full band named Nathan, and they were great. But when Crockett hit the stage, his energy with just a guitar and tracks blew me away. I knew I wanted to write songs and perform like that. I haven’t looked back since.
Do you write and produce your own music? All of my early projects were self produced and I also wrote and played pretty much everything. A few years ago, I actually packed up some of my songs and took them to Nashville to work with Daywind Studios. It was a great experience. I plan to repeat that in 2021. I still record everything at home first, so I can give them a good idea how I want the album to sound.
What is a songwriting session like for you? I have idea books, recordings and sketch pads. But I eventually sit down, take the ones that I really feel have potential, and work them through until I have a good song. It can take hours, days, or even years to finally get it where I want it. Few just come to me. I usually have to work the process. The lines have to flow like regular conversation. It’s funny sometimes to look at the idea/sketch version of a song, versus the final product. Often, the recorded version has been through massive revisions.
What inspires you to create? Everything! I get ideas from everywhere. I once got a musical idea from hearing my turn signal and noticing how, at that moment, everything around me was actually moving to the beat of the click. People say things or write things that just inspire me, especially stories from the Bible. My song “The Rhythm of Grace,” was inspired by a verse in the Message Bible paraphrase.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30).
What is your local christian music scene like? There really isn’t much of one. I typically do concerts hundreds of miles from where I live. But I do sing around here from time to time.
Do you collaborate with other artists? Yes, I love performing with others. I have a few musician friends that tend to call me to sing or play with them, and we do each others’ songs. I prefer that.
Before Covid19, did you perform live often? I am a full-time church musician, so my performance availability is limited since a lot of churches want you to come out on a Sunday. I was only doing about 20-40 dates a year.
Tell us about your latest project. I am so excited about the project we’re going to record in 2021. Where my first “Nashville” CD was more about recording some songs, I feel this project is focused on telling stories.
What can we expect from you in the future? New music, more concert ministry and a continued desire to share the love of God through music.