We had the good fortune of connecting with Brad Stuart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brad, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have worked in the music industry in some capacity for the better part of 20 years now. It was a natural evolution to get to where it is today. Early on, plain and simple… I wanted to be a “Rockstar.” That dream shifted for me. I fell in love with songwriting… production… and forming a genuine connection with a small fanbase.

In 2020, when the pandemic hit… I was in a supporting roll in a group that was actively out on the road. I found myself with a pocket full of original songs that fit more into the “Americana” vein than anything else. These songs were authentic and started to tell my story. A story that includes tragedies I have experienced, the life I have built with my family, and most importantly… my faith and how my relationship with God has impacted my life.

Next thing I knew… my first “solo” album released in January 2024. That record has taken us across the US, Canada, and Europe. It’s been a really special and organic process to get off the ground.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Well… let me start by saying that none of this was easy… but doing anything else wasn’t an option.

Since I was young, I was always sitting and stringing words and melodies together. Over the years, I’ve written thousands of songs. The vast majority of those were terrible… but like anything else, each one taught me something as I began to find my own voice.

The fact of the matter is that this is a flooded market. I recently read that roughly 80,000 new songs hit Spotify every day. How in the world can someone stand out? For me.. it came down to one thing: Authenticity.

What I found is that there is a very sustainable career in connecting over shared experience. The story is everything. Most of us have experienced tragedy… heartbreak… hardship. Many of us have experienced love. In stead of creating a fictional narrative of what I thought would “sell”… I have focussed simply on telling the story.

Challenges come and go. Being a small fish in a big pond… I have looked at financial hurdles that seemed insurmountable at the time. Logistics, especially traveling to the other side of the world can be complicated. Most of all, the temptation to compromise my brand for money… Thankfully, I have a little age and experience of where those roads lead. Not to mention… I am surrounded with people who genuinely want to see me succeed.

When its all said and done… I want whoever comes in contact with my music to leave with one feeling: an authentic experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Here in Michigan, we have so many amazing and diverse things we can do. My home base is in southeast Michigan. When I bring friends into town, our fresh water is always on the list. Whether we hit one of the Great Lakes, Lake Saint Clair, or an inland lake… a beach and fishing is always high on the list.

Also, I love to take friends to apple orchards. It’s something that is fairly unique to the midwest. My personal favorite is Yates in Rochester… You can’t beat those doughnuts!

I’m a foodie… If I’m going out to restaurant with a friend, you can almost always catch me in Greektown in Detroit at Pegasus. Their chicken lemonato and saganaki is top knotch.

As a musician, I can’t bring someone and not catch a show. We have some of the best music in the world… and some of the best venues to experience that music at. My favorite places to catch a show are at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion, The Trinity House Theater in Livonia, or The Ark in Ann Arbor.

Last… we have to talk dessert. There are two spots that I think are world class… each in their own niche. I am always a sucker for those signature chocolate covered strawberries from Astoria (both Greektown or Royal Oak)… And then there is ice cream. I grew up in a small town called Ortonville. There is a little spot called Cooks Farm Dairy. I would argue that the ice cream there is the best in the world… hands down!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My story fell together because of a great team I have that believed in me from the beginning.

Carl Monforte is an engineer that believed in the batch of songs, probably even before I did.

Also, Randy Kohrs (Grammy Award Winning Producer) really took me under his wing, pulled from a pool of some of the best musicians in the world, and we created an album I am very proud of.

Last, my wife, Elizabeth. She was a major part of nudging me into taking the leap of faith on this album. She also was instrumental in adapting the music videos for the record to include American Sign Language (ASL) for our youngest daughter who was born Deaf.

Website: https://bradstuart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BradStuartMusicOffical

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BradStuartMusicOffical

Youtube: @bradstuartmusic

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMichigan is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.