Singer-songwriter Bob Bradshaw weaves his stories through a blend of roots music forms, drawing from his background as a prose writer and frontman for a rock ‘n’ roll band. Prior to the pandemic, Bradshaw was a live fixture in New England.
The Ghost Light, referencing that single light in the theater that stays on after performers and audience have left the premises, is a pandemic-induced metaphor for his ninth studio album. Somehow, he maintains cohesion with 12 vastly different stories, self-contained and not bound by any theme, nor by a consistent set of musicians. Instead, the backing configurations change on just about each tune.
Photo: Rafi Sofer
Storyteller Bob Bradshaw crafts compelling characters and brings them to his audiences with intimacy and conviction. One moment he’s an impulsive daredevil, the next, a sea-weary pirate, or next simply one of us, an ordinary soul searching for meaning, hope, and redemption. With
The Ghost Light, every track inhabits a different little world.
Bradshaw comes by his style honestly. As a young journalist in his native Cork, Ireland, Bradshaw wrote a mix of news and short stories, learning to write with a vivid eye for detail. Years later, after landing in San Francisco, as a musician, his band Resident Aliens was offered studio time, and they needed some original material to record.