Episode 28: Pony Bradshaw
James Bradshaw, who records under the Pony Bradshaw moniker, joins us to talk about his new album Calico Jim. The songs on the record, most written during quarantine, are stories and poems about the north Georgia territory that he calls home. It is a truly remarkable collection of songs, evoking images and characters that come to life through his finely crafted lyrics and subtly complex arrangements. James talks about how he finds musical inspiration through literature, how he feels about being a “late bloomer” in the music field, and his love of a non sequitur verse in a song.
“My ultimate aim was for this to be a true record of an experience, a capturing of sound and sweat and intention. A human artifact,” recalls Bradshaw. “To bring it into the physical world was essential. I wanted it to live and breathe, to die, to get lost, and then found. I hope that’s what’s heard when it’s spinning in your living room or playing through your car speakers on your way to work. I hope you can hold it in your hands and feel the life we put into it, and I hope you feel it wasn’t in vain or a waste of your time.”
photo credit Bekah Jordan
