Get ready for a wordless journey with NYC-based artist Brad Walrond with his first album the Alien Day. Recognized for his activism as a spoken word poet and his involvement in the Black Arts Movement in New York, Walrond is set to unite his unique, strong poetic voice with various music genres. Starting from the hard-rocking “Poetry of America” and ending with the self-reflective “Ashes to Ashes”, Alien Day proves Walrond’s skills in the integration of elaborate themes and various genres.
Beyond its function as an album, Alien Day is the manifestation of black history and art fulfilled, of black desire realized. Songs like “Open Cypher” and ‘Dance Make The Body Free” represent black people’s strength and the expressions of black culture amidst the music’s unique beats. The contributions of the musicians such as Mike Ladd and Jessica Care Moore enrich the intensity of Walrond’s authoritative vocals on each of the song, creating strong statements about the invincibility of black love and knowing.
In this interview, Walrond shares details on his sources of inspiration, how his art works are developed and the development of his art style over time. He speaks about how art works, his experience with music business, and his goals in the upcoming years. As he sets foot in the multimedia space, Walrond’s Alien Day remains a forceful proclamation of self and art.
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What is your stage name?
Brad Walrond
Is there a story behind your stage name?
If I did have a stage name it would be EWA which is the initials to my forthcoming collection of poems Every Where Alien (August 2024) published on Moore Black Press Amistad/ HarperCollins.
The single Every Where Alien is who I am if I had to be boiled down to one sonic form.
I like it because EWA represents the maturity of a uber-dimensional body work since I came back to writing and creating about 10 years ago.
I am EWA, wow it kinda has a ring to it
Where do you find inspiration?
First I have drawn from my lived experience inside Underground art and resistance movements in New York City; The New Black Arts Movement, House Dance Music community, Black Rock Coalition, House Ballroom Scene, HIV/AIDS Artivist Community
House Ballroom Scene inspires me because it is an example of the power multiplicity and fluidity of human divinity. We get to witness in real time as people shed tortured oppressive
What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
Writing songs, learning instruments, listening to music for hours. Music is my own experience with my imagination, the ability to manifest worlds and travel where they take you. I think that’s what I do with my work now. Whether its a poem, a book, an album, or a song
Are you from a musical or artistic family?
My Dad has always had the most amazing voice; if he ever wanted to do a cover concert of Nat King Cole songs he’d be remarkable. My was a poet and playwright, she centered that work in her faith community
Who inspired you to be part of the music industry?
My only absolute goal is to make the things I was born to create; industry or no industry there is a seamless creativity linked to my gift of words. I need to be able to leave here knowing I gave my gift all it has given to me.
Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
Alien Day feels like a declaration to me; we are the aliens and we are here right now today to learn anew where we have clearly failed. How to cohabit Earth; to learn how to live out the fullest and truest expressions of love, of our imaginations, and of ourselves.
What are your plans for the coming months?
Welp, I’m releasing this album and looking forward to performing it live everywhere and wherever ; I’m releasing a book Every Where Alien Moore Black Press Amistad/Harper Collins in August and I’m setting up that national tour now.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans?
I wanna collaborate with Tems; I’ve been calling her name for the last few months to all my peeps. Her poetic gift is a surround sound supernatural force. I went to dinner with a friend in the East Village and Tems and her crew sit down to have dinner at the table immediately next to mine. I had a galley copy of forthcoming book Every Where Alien, and I signed it and gave it to her. I told her I pray she knows how high her poetic gift is. So if I can run into Tems at dinner after she been my creative muse for months, I imagine there must be a collab on play somewhere in the Universe..
What message would you like to give to your fans?
Be Inspired. Run toward the things that excite you, challenge you, move you, heal you, regard you.
How did you learn to sing/ write/ to play
My gift is language, the spoken word and arts scene in 90s New York City made me a peer among a slew of galactic voices. We learned the shape and force of our voices in our own audience. They are my creative heroes. Saul Williams, Mike Ladd, jessica Care moore, Jasiri, muMz (rip), Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, Sarah Jones, Imani Uzuri, Shariff Simmons, Liza Jesse Peterson, Carl Hancock Rux, Tish Benson
What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
Bebe and CeCe Winans when Whitney Houston was touring with them
How could you describe your music?
Its brand new, it creates its own forms, it makes room for itself, the words the light and messages inside them are magic things; the music enters the word’s world and they discover new ways to talk, touch, and teach each other
Describe your creative process?
I write what I hear; although as a poet and author my poetry is built to stand on its own on a page it lives a dimensional life inside my body. It has a sound, a rhythm, a texture, an unction, a voice. Poems live as four dimensional forms inside me and my multi disciplinary work including my music and this album is the journey to make it live on the outside of me.
What is your main inspiration?
My gift makes me a humble man; I am so honored to be alive, so blessed to be able to create, so amazed I get to work with my outlandishly incredible peers. This album is in every sense a collaboration between composer producer Howard Alper & I. I am humbled how my voice has and continues to find audience. These gifts are beautiful costly things. I do not hold them lightly. My only job is to give these gifts the honor and respect they deserve.
What musician do you admire most and why?
Shelley Nicole, she makes big music, she writes big songs, she is the epitome of the quotidian genius of the New York City music and creative underground, the world should know her name, like how I know her name.
Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
I’d say my work evolved and continues to evolve; my style lives with me and shows up for its own sake however wherever I get down
Who do you see as your main competitor?
I don’t have competitors, I have peers. I’d venture that none of us in our peer group ever regard one another as competitors. We aim to live our gifts out loud and pray the world takes all it needs.
What are your interests outside of music?
I am a poet, author, and performer. I am fully alive inside the boundlessness of language and sound.
If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
My other career as an author—I’m bridging into speculative fiction and I’m damn excited about that..stay tuned.
