Bradley Hathaway

After exploding onto the scene three years ago as “the poet who has never read poetry”, critically acclaimed poet, thinker, singer, and soul, Bradley Hathaway is releasing his sophomore album and book, The Thing that Poets Write About, The Thing that Singers Sing About this October. This new record further bridges the gap between poetry and music by showcasing 14 new songs and poems inside an impressive 80-page book with an accompanying DVD. Bradley Hathaway is no stranger to doing things his own way. In 2004 Bradley wrote his first poem inside of a 1988 Ford pickup truck in Arkansas; within 18 months he would tour the United States; release a record of performance poetry; tour countries across Europe; write a book; discover the guitar, folk music, and Johnny Cash; tour Hawaii, and Australia; destroy his 1988 Ford Pickup truck after hundreds of shows in America; fall in love a couple times; write a few songs about falling in love and getting dumped a couple times; and live on a pig farm- all without the help of a record label or management. Now Bradley is releasing an entirely new album of songs and poems about love and life. Recorded in an abandoned house in the hills of Kentucky, The Thing That Poets Write About, the Thing That Singers Sing About evokes the spirit of America and the ghosts of the haunted south. The album is a story of a young man’s journey through a relationship. From its ecstatic beginning, through times of doubt and desperation, to its painful separation, the singer discovers the emotions and the lessons that only a broken heart can teach. The Thing That Poets Write About is deeply rooted in American music. Featuring a half dozen musicians, a choir of twenty senior citizens, and one poet trying to sing, this collection pays homage to America, its music, and its people. The rural Kentucky setting where the album was recorded comes out in the music: pure and earthy. The record is a live performance, leaving no room for pretension or second guesses, giving the album a rustic character like the house in which it was recorded. The Thing That Poet’s Write About is a snapshot of a young artist at the turning point of his life. It is his discovery of America and its music, of women and the joy (and pain) they bring. Bradley is not a singer, he is a soul; and this new collection is all heart. With songs of lost love, pain, desire, and loneliness, this album is not for the faint-hearted. The Thing That Poets Write About chronicles a boy’s long journey into manhood, tackling every big question head on with wit and wisdom. And with each question, the music jumps from a soft whisper to a raucous roar, taking the listener on an emotional ride that will leave you begging for more. Change is the characteristic of a great artist. The best artists are always one step ahead of their audience. Bradley is an artist of change - always surprising his audience and taking us to places never imagined. The Thing that Poets Write About, The Thing That Singers Sing About is the next step in Bradley’s already impressive career. Bradley is not an accomplished musician or a singer; in fact, he can barely play the guitar. But music is much more than talent and craft: it is emotion and experience. Bradley isn’t like other artists. He doesn’t give us craft and finesse. He gives us himself with all his flaws and imperfections. He lays his heart out for the rest of us to listen and judge- and that is the hardest thing an artist can do. Songs of joy. Songs of pain. Songs of innocence. Songs of experience. It’s all here, given to us by one of our generation’s most important artists.