Songwriter returns to his roots in second solo album that
features songs close to his heart
Valentine, a town of about 3,000 in northern Nebraska, can boast of two things: It’s billed as “America’s Heart City,” and it’s the birthplace of singer-songwriter Brad Colerick.
Although Colerick has lived in Los Angeles for the past 20 years, his newest album, “Cottonwood,” is a return to his roots and an autobiographical journey through his life. Colerick will perform a concert June 15 at Clos LaChance Winery in San Martin, and proceeds will benefit St. Joseph’s Family Center in Gilroy.
When Colerick was 5, he and his family moved to Lincoln, Neb., and during the early 1980s he released two albums – one being a collaboration with another artist and the other a solo album.
After moving to Los Angeles in 1986, Colerick established a successful career writing music for ad campaigns, working with several notable artists such as Shawn Colvin, Amy Grant and the late Johnny Cash, and producing spots for companies such as Sears, Coca-Cola, Budweiser and McDonald’s. But Colerick never lost sight of his true dream: recording another album.
“There were more opportunities out here,” Colerick said in a phone interview from Los Angeles. “I wasn’t sure I could make a go of it just writing songs, so I looked at (advertising) as a way of paying my bills.”
In 1990, Colerick founded a musical publishing company called Back 9 Records. He signed an artist named David Grow, who is still part of the label along with Colerick and three other artists.
“Back 9 is a collective of artists and a very artist-friendly indy label. It’s a support system for artists going it alone,” Colerick said.
In addition to founding Back 9, Colerick is also president of DeepMix, a music supervision company that works mostly with advertising, and some with film and television. The business ventures kept him busy, leaving little time to focus on personal goals.
“I’d been writing occasionally over the past 10 years, and there were a couple of times I went in to do some demos,” Colerick said. “When I finally got serious about going in to make a record, I realized I would never get it done on my own – it was perpetually getting put on the backburner.”
Colerick then hired a life coach named Fiona Hall, who helped him better prioritize his schedule, he said, and he found more time to write songs.
The result of that newfound focus was “Cottonwood,” an album of 11 songs all written or co-written by Colerick. It was released officially in March but will be more widely distributed June 13.
Colerick’s music is a bluegrass-country blend that mixes dynamic acoustics and heartfelt lyrics that are an autobiographical account of Colerick’s life. The song “Time Away,” for example – which Colerick recently finished shooting a video for in the Nashville area – was written for his wife. The couple have two children, ages 2 and 5.
Making “Cottonwood” has helped Colerick discover more about who he is musically, he said, and this record feels more like a genuine representation of himself.
“I had done a lot of recording prior to this that didn’t really feel like me, it didn’t feel right,” he said. “This one does.”
So, how did Colerick end up performing a concert in San Martin? During his days at the University of Nebraska, he met David Cox, executive director of St. Joseph’s. They stayed in touch over the years, and when Colerick performed in San Jose in August, Cox and some friends attended. The two talked about putting together a concert, and the idea grew into a fundraiser.
“A lot of folks are pulling together to make this happen,” Cox said. “The (Gilroy) Rotary Club is supporting it, and Clos LaChance has been extremely hospitable. We’re excited. It’s going to a night of great music in a beautiful setting.”
In August, Colerick is off to perform in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands before heading back to Nebraska to play a number of smaller shows. The pace of Colerick’s life now might be vastly different from that of Valentine, Neb. But he hasn’t lost touch with his roots – and he’s proud to share them with the world.
You can sample or download songs from “Cottonwood” on iTunes. For more information on Colerick, go to www.bradcolerick.com.
