Today we’d like to introduce you to Bradley “McCrae” McClendon
Hi Bradley “McCrae”, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Every story starts with a beginning, and mine starts in a hospital room in Oklahoma City. I was born completely blind in my right eye and throughout my first year in this world, I bounced from doctor to doctor going through surgeries as they did their best to work with what they had. (Kind of like making the best lemonade possible out of the weirdest batch of lemons.) Moving around growing up, I had always felt like an outcast. New cities, new faces, but nowhere I felt like I could truly belong. I saw the world differently than my peers, and because of that, I was the odd one out. It took me a while to come to terms with the body I was given, but as one sense was down, the others were heightened. I turned to my ears to explore a new world of intricate colors, vast landscapes, and feelings that can’t be explained, all through sound and music.
Doctors told me that my vision was deteriorating and I’d lose the remaining sight I had left early in life. Being told that you have a time limit at a young age really makes you reevaluate things. The flowers in my grandmothers garden started to shine more vibrantly, the sky became an immaculate art piece, filling my mind with wonder. I threw myself into music, learning and creating as much as I could. Turning pain into passion, I made a promise to myself- that I would tour the entire world and see every beautiful thing before I go blind. I’m grateful for every day that I wake up, knowing there’s not a set number of days for any of us.
Immersing yourself in the arts, you start to realize how connected everything is. The same feeling you get from listening to your favorite song, you can get losing yourself in a larger-than-life sculpture, mural, or the art of motion.
We’re all chasing some type of feeling, and my biggest goal is to invoke an overwhelmingly good light, to leave behind a legacy that my future generations can be inspired by, and hopefully bring love and connection back to the world.
I’d like to think I’m on the right track. As I’m putting the finishing touches on my sophomore album, gearing up to tour the US again, I’ve been diversifying my artistic outlets to avoid burnout. Recently completing one my largest projects to date, I found a meditation in painting a Fiji-inspired ocean spread across an entire skatepark: The Cooler Complex. Painting for me, is just as much an escape from reality as music. I’m creating these worlds not only to get lost in, but to inspire others to think beyond the reality they were raised into.
Looking forward, the Regional Arts Commission has entrusted me to bring downtown St. Louis to life with a brand new, 2,200 square ft interactive mural showcasing the rich musical history and vibrant scene the city has to offer. I’ll be sharing progress updates, ways for the community to get involved, as well as info on our upcoming festival, Flight Fest, on www.gardenheartproductions.com and @flightstlouis.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If it was easy, it probably wasn’t fulfilling. My mom used to always tell me, “No matter what you do in life, just be happy”. Maybe I drew the short straw when it came to getting a perfect body, but I wouldn’t change a single thing. In a world full of bullies, naysayers, and hurting, smile through it all.
Smile through the pain. Pain is permanent, so your smile should be too. It never gets easier, you just get better.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Music is my everything. It’s the reason I wake up in the morning, a guide for my soul, and a bridge for bringing my emotions to tangible form. I started releasing music as McCrae in 2018, and have been blessed to share my art in theaters, major festivals, and even television. After releasing my debut album, Foreign Euphoria, I had the opportunity to begin film scoring, which set my heart ablaze for motion picture. With the aid of my cousin Brandon, we full sent in creating Garden Heart Productions, where we could bring imagination to life. My mind is constantly overflowing with outer-worldly ideas, and having a team to help bring them to fruition is pivital. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it definitely wasn’t built alone. At the end of the day, the thing I can be most proud of is staying true to myself. Surrounded by so much outside influence, it’s easy to doubt your own artistic expression, in favor of what’s trending. It’s hard for me to fit in with the billboard charts recycled sounds. My goal is to leave a legacy, and share a voice the worlds never experienced. I’ll die before I let society taint that.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Don’t listen to anyone. Small minds can’t comprehend big ideas, and actions speak louder than words. Whatever your passion in this life, run towards it with a fire in your heart, burning so brightly that even the harshest storms fail to dampen. If your hearts not in it, chances are, you’re on the wrong path. It’s okay to get sidetracked, it’s only human. Don’t be afraid to take days off, lay in the sun, binge eat ice cream, spend time with friends and remind yourself what it means to be alive. I couldn’t do what I do without experiencing life. Just as art imitates life, life imitates art. Fall into the cycle of creation, meditation, and appreciation. Don’t worry about the money, it’ll come. Focus on becoming the best version of yourself that you can possibly be, because you are the only you that will ever exist. Happy, Healthy, & Wealthy in that order. After that, the meaning of life is as simple as 5 words: “Enjoying the passage of time”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gardenheartproductions.com/mccrae
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mccraesgarden/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McCraeOfficial/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mccraesgarden?si=F8F6AFLu4lkrQily
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/12S6QffTJxFLl1Y7Wu8PgR?si=bO4kIB9PRZm1g3Z_lQj17w
