Interviews
The Musex
A Conversation with Tim Bradshaw.
by marc moore
Tim Bradshaw was John Mayer’s touring keyboardist for the Continuum tour. He appears on John Mayer’s concert DVD Let the Light In. Before that Tim played and recorded with David Gray – most notably on White Ladder, a groundbreaking album that was one of the first in the 1990s to fuse folk rock with techno beats. He has also toured with Dog’s Eye View. But before that Tim Bradshaw was a member of the Irish alternative rock band, The Fat Lady Sings, probably one of the biggest, most influential rock bands you’ve never heard.
During June 2010, I travelled through England, Scotland, and Ireland. For some of that time I stayed at the house of Tim Bradshaw. Here is the conversation I had with him. In it, Tim talks about working with John Mayer, David Gray, his time with The Fat Lady Sings, as well as his new project, Cooper – his new band and labor of love that he formed with Vertical Horizon drummer Ed Toth.
In the first part of my three part interview, I talk to Tim about his working with David Gray, including his part in recording on David’s groundbreaking White Ladder album, which spawned the hits and radio staples Babylon, Babylon II, Please Forgive Me and My oh My. I also talk to him about his work touring with singer-songwriter and formidable guitarist, John Mayer.
It’s my last night in England.
Calm and relaxed from amazing vegan curry take-away from Malick’s and a few pints of Carling, I finally ask the question I’ve quite honestly been avoiding the length of my stay with Tim.
“So – you ready to do this?”
Tim Bradshaw looks over at me.
“Sure.” Charming as always.
We retreat to the small cozy kitchen of the small suburban home he shares with his wife, Zoë, and her two daughters in the town of Stoke-On Trent. The kitchen looks like a greenhouse – all white frame and mostly glass walls and on one side. And I think that it once was.
Out in the dark of the English summer night lies Tim and Zoë’s garden - a real English garden, small and wild and rose-filled and a great place to sit alone and sip a coffee or a tea or a lager. Inside it’s warm and cozy
We sit at the small kitchen table.
I start.
Marc Moore: We chatted before, backstage at the John Mayer show about you working with David Gray on White Ladder. Now, were you aware of the significance of – because that album was pretty big – were you aware at the time that you were working on it that it was something breakthrough or groundbreaking?
Tim Bradshaw: Um, no. Because you don’t think that it’s necessarily going to be a successful record. There’s no concept of that when I did my bits on that record. I played with David [Gray] before in different incarnations. Done some other recording with him. But when we were doing that you actually don’t know how big it was going to be. However, it was quite – well, it was reasonably early on in the digital recording sort of explosion, where people were starting to do things on their own without them paying a lot of money to get into the studio. And so it was a little bit different in that respect. Although I’d done a little bit before that with someone else. It was, yeah, it was different. And he had these songs that we’d play some of them live. I played, I guess Babylon – I think I’m getting the chronological thing right – with him and Clune, the drummer - at a gig, at least one gig before it got recorded.
We knew -I knew - a general feeling, what we got was a bunch of good new material sort of back together. I mean I didn’t have anything to do with the production of that record, but just played on some of the songs. But I was aware of those songs, and felt like I was sort of part of it to some degree.
MM: Sure. And you played what exactly?
TB: On that album?
MM: Yes.
TB: Some keyboards.
MM: And how long were you working with David Gray before that?
TB: I first played with David Gray in 1996 – in December 1996 – he got me in to do two shows. Through a friend of a friend. Through somebody who played with him or had played with him, got me in to do two shows in Ireland just through Christmas in 1996. Then White Ladder, I guess, was recorded, gosh, I don’t remember exactly, I think it was originally released in 1998 so it probably would’ve been recorded mostly in 1998, I don’t really remember.
MM: And how long after the release of White Ladder, how long were you working, playing with David Gray.
TB: ’03 till 2006 – let me just think about that for a second … yeah, yeah.
MM: And now, John Mayer – so you started playing with him - when?
TB: I guess 2006. I finished with Dave in … August - of 2006 - in Toronto and had a bit of time off, and then started up with John right at the very end of 2006. But the tour didn’t actually start till the beginning of 2007. And that was the Continuum tour.
MM: Yes – the Continuum tour …
TB: Yeah …
MM: Then the first time I saw you guys … it was … it was ’07.
TB: Yeah.
MM: It was when you hit Texas.
TB: Yeah.
MM: When you hit San Antonio …
TB: So, yeah … August 2006 was when I finished with Dave and then started out just there at the very end of 2006 with John.
MM: And how was that like? Describe that experience. What were some highlights for you?
TB: With John?
MM: Yeah.
TB: (laughing) Yeah – I mean, it was great! The thing was, I was delighted to get the gig, you know. Because I knew that, you know, he was such a big act. And … he probably didn’t remember but, I had met him very briefly before.
MM: Oh, really?
TB: I guess I’d underestimated just how big he was – to be honest. I’m not particularly prone to following fashion terribly. I mean, you’re aware of people – of course. And I knew the album, I knew Continuum. But I didn’t really know quite what a big name he was. And I think that’s partly just because I’m English and hadn’t figured it out.
MM: Sure. He was bigger here – well, in the States.
TB: I mean, I’d been in the States, but I just hadn’t been paying attention.
MM: Yeah, yeah …
TB: (laughing again) Am I the only who that hadn’t has? But maybe so. And I’d seen the band, because a friend of mine - well, a former friend of mine - worked for Sony. Oh and make sure you say “former friend,” just in case he reads it (smiling). I want him to know he’s a former friend.
MM: Sure! (laughing)
TB: Hooked us up with tickets for us to go. So I’d seen him, and enjoyed it. And one of my idols, Robbie McIntosh, well, I don’t want to say “idol” because that sounds a bit funny now that I know him – but you know, somebody I’d looked up to.
MM: You’d admired his work.
TB: Yeah, exactly! He was in the band, so that was pretty – when I knew I was going to be in the band with him, it was just like, wow, (laughing) this is kinda cool. And then, everyone was nice. It felt like a real, I don’t know, it was a very good-natured and a really pleasurable experience.
MM: And as a viewer, I definitely saw that. And as an audience member, I could definitely get that vibe.
TB: I think that band [John Mayer’s Continuum touring band] was fantastic. I mean, I haven’t seen the new band, [John Mayer’s Battle Studies touring band] and I’m sure they’re great, but that band was really great.
MM: It was really was.
TB: I’ve heard some some major bands, and that band was fucking great.
MM: Yeah …
TB: You know what I mean …
MM: Oh, I hear you
TB: You can see that …
MM: Yeah – I know what you mean!
TB: You don’t have to be playing in front of … when you’re playing with a good band, the good has nothing to do with the amount of people that you’re playing to. A good band is a good band, and you communicate and you take risks and you play stuff and, you know, just play. Uh … so … that was a great band! [laughing]
MM: And how much of that, was an offshoot – or was it? – due to the fact that John is an improvisational player? Because I know in some songs, he expands them. So how much of that was rehearsed or how much of that … ?
TB: Not much rehearsal.
MM: So was it that you followed along, or was it that you guys were so good that you were able to meet each other and follow along with him, and still … you know what I mean? How was that?
TB: Well I think we were just awesome.
[both laughing]
MM: Yeah! It was a good band – I loved watching you guys!
TB: The name on the – when I joined the band – the name on the marquee is John Mayer.
MM: Sure.
TB: People pay to come see John Mayer. So, you’re only in a supporting role. You’re always going to be, you know, supporting.
MM: Sure …
TB: You just want to be back supporting. I mean, other people take solos, though if you’re a good musician, hopefully you’re always listening and trying to work out what’s going to be best. And you have a sort of plan – which is what you play, you know, you’re part when you play, but when it comes time to improvise then you’re listening for what’s going on.
Now, because it’s John Mayer, he’s going to be taking the solos, mostly. And it’s going to be his – he’s the big, focal point – and rightly so. So you just listen for what it is he’s doing and try to follow him, and build it up. And it’s just a question of keeping an eye on everybody else to make sure you’re all building at the same time. Doesn’t always work, but sometimes it really works and sometimes it’s great.
MM: Yeah – well every time I saw you guys, it was definitely – it was great.
TB: I think John’s good at knowing when to play and when to lay out. You know, he’s not somebody who has to play constantly. He knows when it needs to be just bass and drums - but basically no one goes home singing drums today, they go home singing songs – and John’s a singer-songwriter. He’s a fucking great singer, too. And he’ll deliver a song and then … he can play his guitar in a way that a lot of people can’t. He can play the guitar in a way that he’s singing.
So, anyway, long story short, he’s very gifted as a musician, but ultimately - and a fucking great guitar player - but ultimately he’s just a singer-songwriter, and he delivers a song with intensity, and you believe him when he sings. So, you know, that’s where I think, personally, why John is best – at delivering the song. Because that’s what he is – he’s a singer.
