Brad Go launches first album, THE HUSH PROJECT

Filipino-American singer-songwriter Brad Go launched his debut album, The Hush Project, at an intimate gathering of bloggers held at Chef Bruce Lim's Rustique Kitchen where he performed select cuts from the self-penned and self-produced album, including the new single “I Want You Now.”

The exclusive unplugged performance gave Brad the opportunity to talk about the making of the album, the inspiration behind the songs, and how a guitar, a passport and serendipity turned him into a bona fide recording artist.

We were privileged to hear Brad's music and got to know him up-close. His fresh music is something to look forward to. I'm not kidding! His creativity and artistry of creating songs out of his travels, of meeting strangers along the way and talking to his muse are what this project means.

Since graduating from New York University in 2008, the hyphenate artist has been working as a freelance video editor and director while pursuing his passion for music, playing clubs in downtown New York. In 2012, he embarked on a Kickstarter-funded trip of discovery that took him everywhere from Barcelona to Singapore, from Berlin to Manila. The life-changing journey resulted in the making of the studio album, The Hush Project, a self-penned, self-produced collection of “love songs inspired by love stories around the world.”

The Project

Released through MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines), The Hush Project is the culmination of Brad's trip around the world in search of the most compelling and unique real-life love stories. The journey began in New York, where he met a girl on a rainy Wednesday evening in September, 2012. Offering his umbrella to the rain-soaked stranger, Brad unwittingly set in motion a series of romantic events, both exhilarating and tragic, that would lead to the creation of the blog, Have U Seen Her, and eventually The Hush Project. (HUSH is an acronym for “Have U Seen Her.”)

Inspired by his own love story—a story that started like a fairy tale but ended without the “happily ever after”—Brad came up with a crazy idea. He would travel the world, talk to people about love and their love stories, and write songs about them. He started a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $10,000, thus giving him the opportunity to embark on his mission.

“If something like this could happen to me in New York, there must be countless stories across the globe that no one has ever heard,” says the 28-year-old musician. His goal was to tell those stories.

The 9 Songs

The Hush Project, on MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines), comes out February 2, 2015. The album features production by Ferdie Marquez, Eren Cannata and Brad himself.

A predominantly pop rock album consisting of nine self-penned songs, each inspired by a specific place and aspect of love, The Hush Project is is the culmination of Brad's trip around the world in search of the most compelling and unique real-life love stories.

Brad went to Barcelona, Tokyo, Melbourne, Singapore, Palermo, Berlin, Manila and Paris, and came back with eight (8) original compositions. The trip is documented in the form of vlogs, which are published on Brad Go's YouTube channel.

Brad Go - I Want You Now (The Hush Project) 

The Hush Project opens with “All Along,” a veritable pop opus that plays up Brad's singer-songwriter sensibilities and musical leanings, setting the tone for the emotional roller-coaster ride that listeners are in for. This is followed by “I Want You Now,” an arena-worthy confessional that showcases Brad's lower register. Then, “It's You” starts off sparse and shifts into an anthem with the introduction of lush instrumentation while the ballad “Follow Through” builds over an acoustic guitar.

Brad Go - Time Machine (The Hush Project) 

Midway through the album is “Firestarter,” a change of pace that infuses guitar-based rock elements with elecropop beats. The throwback track “Feel This Way” immediately follows, recalling the dramatic piano melodies of '90s pop rock. Meanwhile, “Love Is Love” is a straightforward composition layered over synthesized finger snaps and percussion sounds. The penultimate cut is the slow-burning “Time Machine,” a stripped down singer-songwriter moment filled with heartfelt sincerity.

There is also the bonus track “Carry You Home”, a breezy production tailor-made for road-trip playlists that also aptly summarizes the physical and emotional journey of making the album.

Brad Go - Carry You Home (The Hush Project) 

The album is a mix of romantic ballads, torches and mid-tempo jams that are decidedly pop rock in form, mostly structured around guitar-driven melodies and rousing progressions.

The Artist

The Hush Project has such an intriguing concept and fresh sound that upon hearing about it, MCA Music immediately committed to distributing the album, setting a Philippine release date of February 2, 2015. Impressed by Brad's songwriting, label executives commissioned him to write a song for another MCA artist, Darren Espanto. The result is “Makin' Moves,” which appears on the album, Darren.

“‎We're so happy to welcome Brad to the MCA family. He's the complete package: He sings, writes and produces his own songs, plays different instruments, and even makes his own music videos. It's hard to find such a multifaceted artist these days. We can't wait for everyone to hear his music and see his career flourish here in the Philippines and abroad,” enthuses MCA Music domestic label marketing manager Mark Bonifacio.

“Brad is a very marketable artist. He's showing a lot of potential and we at MCA are looking forward to helping him cultivate and grow his personal brand as a recording artist, musician and songwriter. The Hush Project is just the first step,” adds MCA Music artists and repertoire (A&R) manager Francis Guevarra.

The Hush Project Track Listing:

1. All Along (BARCELONA)

2. I Want You Now (TOKYO)

3. It's You (MELBOURNE)

4. Follow Through (SINGAPORE)

5. Firestarter (PALERMO)

6. Feel This Way (BERLIN)

7. Love Is Love (MANILA)

8. Time Machine (PARIS)

9. Carry You Home (BONUS TRACK)

Scheduled Gigs

Brad is scheduled to perform at the Roofdeck Bistro (Examiner St., Quezon City) on February 6 (10 p.m.), Chef Arch's Lime 88 (Plainview, Mandaluyong City) on February 13 (9 p.m.), Bruce Lim's Rustique Kitchen (Arnaiz Ave., Makati City) on February 14 (7 p.m.), and Lucky Chinatown Mall on February 21 (3 p.m.).

Catch Brad live on Energy FM 106.7's Eat All You Ken on February 10 (6 to 9 a.m.) and Mellow 94.7's The Wake Up Show on February 11 (8 to 10 a.m.). He previously appeared on Wave 89.1's Funny Side Up on January 30.

The Hush Project is available at Astro Plus and Odyssey record bars and online at iTunes, Spinnr, Deezer and Spotify.

For more information, please go to hushproject.tv.

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