We are chatting with Brad Sevy. Welcome to Vents! We would love to learn more about you. Tell us, what is your musical background, and how did you get started in the industry? 

I was Djing throughout the ‘80’s and ended up Music Supervising on Various shows for Paramount and Warner Brothers all through the ‘90’s. While doing that I met some really great musicians including Jay Ferguson who composed our show Viper. Jay was in the band Spirit in the ‘60’s, became a solo artist and had a big hit with Thunder Island and then formed Jo Jo Gunne and had a hit with the Song Run Run Run. Jay and I became good friends and started writing songs together, one being Living Love’s latest release Faithful. A few years later I started a church called Living Love and we had this really cool band. Really good band! Yes! So we decided to record an album to help supplement the Church. One thing led to another, members of the band came and went, but Wayne Ingram stuck around and after seven years of a labor of love we finally finished the album, which will be released in November.

How would you describe your musical style or genre? Are there any specific influences that have shaped your sound?

It’s officially CCM, Contemporary Christian Music, but I think we expand a little more to the Christian Alternative more or less, but we also have some really good deep worship songs too. We wanted to have a fresher sound, I think than most of the Christian bands, more of a cross over feel so some of the influences in sound comes from a band called Pvris. Love their sound and how they craft their songs. We also like Phil Wickham too. His deep love for God and Jesus really comes through in a really loving way with lots of energy behind it. Check out his Children of God album for example.

Can you walk us through your creative process when writing or composing music? Where do you draw inspiration from?

Well the inspiration comes straight from God. His love guided us all the way through the process of writing and producing this album. One song on the album God is Love had a version that is not on the album. We had thought we had finished the album and we went home to listen and come back a few days later with notes. Well Wayne and I looked at each other and we said, “We need to redo this song!’ So we stripped it down to nothing, that’s why it starts out acapella. Then I was silent and prayed asking the Father what he wanted us to do with this song. The ideas started to come measure by measure. The first day we had four bars. At the end of the second day we had 16 bars. That;s how the inspiration came for that song. Sometimes I hear notes and riffs in my head. If I can’t play them on the keyboard, I’ll sing them and Wayne will figure it out and we have magic. That’s why I liked working so much with Wayne because we had a connection to each other. For the guitar solo for Redeemed I air guitared the solo I wanted and Wayne got it, dude so cool. I don’t look at myself as a musician in the sense as the guys I play with, I can’t play like them but we find ways to make it all happen with God’s guidance.

What have been the most significant milestones or highlights in your music career so far?

I would say the toil of being patient through the seven years to get this album finished and ready for the world to hear its healing message.

Are there any exciting projects, albums, or singles you’re currently working on or planning to release in the near future?

We have the upcoming release of the Living Love album in November along with one more single before the album is released OH God You Are My God, a very stripped down and close to the heart kinda song that is absolutely beautiful. Lauren sings her heart out for this one. We also have a really fun Christmas song, What I Want for Christmas (Peace on Earth) coming out at the end of October. So lots of really good exciting new music coming your way in the next few months.

Share some memorable experiences from your live performances. What do you enjoy most about performing in front of an audience?

Being able to connect first hand with the audience and feeling the love in the room and glorifying God and it coming back to you in that very instant is the most rewarding thing about playing live.

Have you collaborated with other artists or musicians? If so, can you tell us about a particularly meaningful collaboration and its outcome?

When I collaborated with Jay Fergunson on writing Faithful. I started out by asking Jay that I wanted to do a song that had a techno feel but had a rock edge to it. I had the lyrics already from a hymn written in 1792 that I wanted to use. So Jay went to work and came up with something like 16 bars that we then took and edited into this beast of a song. Kathie Talbot came in and layed down the melody and sang for the demo. Jay has been the composer for NCIS Los Angeles for the past 12 years or so and Kathie has been doing music for movie trailers for the past 15 years.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in the music industry, and how have you overcome them?

As an independent artist it’s been extremely hard to get noticed in this vast sea of music. Still trying to figure it out and I’ll let you know when we break through. I said when by the way! If you can have MercyMe or Bono give us a shout out that would be cool!

Where can we find you on social media and listen to your new music? 

https://www.instagram.com/livingloveband/

https://www.facebook.com/LivingLoveBand

https://www.youtube.com/@LivingLoveBand

https://livingloveband.com/