Photo: Joshua Michael Shelton
Los Angeles crooner Indiana Bradley’s authentic, melodic post-punk style collides beautifully with traces of rich Americana. In a story that could be called “From Cornfields to Carnivals,” Bradley has taken his Midwestern roots and transformed them into a whirlwind of spun yarns and a storied life that crisscrosses the world like the stamps on Carmen Sandiego’s passport.
As a journalist, Bradley collected stories like a connoisseur of human quirks, each one offering a fresh lens on our endlessly puzzling existence. Now, these wanderlust-infused tales have migrated into his music, transforming his songwriting into a globetrotter’s guide to the soul. Bradley’s musings dive into the big questions—life, death, the murky waters of morality, and that eternal dance between light and dark.
Bradley takes his globe-trotting wisdom and distills it into driving guitars and rhythmic keys, with lyrics that muse on the grand themes of life, death, good, and evil. His droning baritone growl channels the spirit of Nick Cave or Johnny Cash, while his faster-paced tracks give you a jolt reminiscent of Joy Division meeting Fugazi and INXS. His latest endeavor, Simulate—with bandmates Eddie Curi on bass, Lucas Aton on drums, Andy Rehfeldt on guitar, and Daddy Priest on guitar—serves up a blistering homage to the raw intensity of The Gun Club and Killing Joke. Simulate, off the album Canticles of Los Angeles, is a philosophical rock ‘n’ roll rollercoaster that dares you to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
“Simulate is…a sonic-speed train wreck of a song that dares you not to listen to it,” says Bradley. “On the punkier side we used some thrashing guitars, rockabilly keys, and vocal effects to make it a wild ride. The video was filmed using live footage from a show at the infamous Rainbow Bar and Grill on LA’s sunset strip. The cool part is everyone in the video was a random guest of the bar that night and no paid actors or extras were used. Their natural raucousness, energy, and all out weirdness totally steal the show and I couldn’t be happier about that. I think the video shows that rock n roll is not dead.”
Directors of Photography Brian Bins, Veronica De La Rosa, and Doug Escobar used handheld cameras and camera eye glasses to immerse the viewer right into the performance and the glorious chaos. Buckle up, buttercup!
Watch the video for “Simulate” below:
Thus far, Indiana Bradley has released one full-length LP, Ghost Star, and two live albums recorded at The Satellite and Harvard & Stone. Enlisting the talents of A.F.I. bass player Hunter Burgan, Bradley released the EP Pale City in the Spring of 2023. The work is produced and mixed by Burgan, who also plays guitar and bass on the tracks.
His most recent release, Canticles of Los Angeles was produced by Seth Olansky. The EP / mini album solidifies Bradley’s style as category-breaking, as the record haunts the listener with stories of pirates, Hollywood, heaven, hell, and redemption.
You can order Indiana Bradley’s latest single from the Mini-Album / EP, Simulate, on both Apple Music and Amazon,
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