about

Brandon Wadley is a songwriter and performer writing and creating their own earthy brand of indie rock and leading a band out of Indianapolis, IN. With a disarming voice, cathartic lyricism and warm, powerful guitar playing, Brandon cites 90s alternative rock, the lyrical ferocity of hardcore punk, and roots in Appalachian folk to unite a delightfully raw and intricate collection of melodies making for an inviting, adventurous performance. Lyrical themes gravitate toward identity, truth, expression, and redemption. Seeing Brandon perform live is like having coffee with an old friend on a morning-lit patio, except the songs are now listening to you.

Finding a start in 2009 as a solo artist, Brandon wrote, recorded, produced, and released their first eight albums and EPs working with an 8-track recorder and a couple of microphones. These projects were captured in a variety of unconventional locations and atmospheric spaces accompanied by a revolving door of fellow musicians, only entering an established studio with their ninth release, Wilderness Hymnal, in 2016. With their independent, DIY production sensibilities, Brandon wields a multi-instrumental dynamic and deeply developed song arrangements as means to communicate a sonic quality that is tangible, accessible, and unique.

Brandon’s live sound has never ceased to grow and adapt while preserving the heart behind older material and fearlessly venturing into new sonic territory. All the while the endearing themes of hope and grace stand alongside, delivering explicit poetic excerpts in vulnerability and understated potency. The integrity of Brandon’s music is shown in how it translates from an abstract idea, to a recorded song, then to the live setting. This arsenal of live lyrical flavor dictates the timelessness of his discography, spearheaded by a vulnerable, earnest voice. To accompany such thematic approaches in their writing, the flavors of natural earthliness and the occasionally extraterrestrial connect us back fearlessly to our human nature and its potential for beauty and vastness, which is above all, the strongest testimony to their journey of faith.

The November 2017 release "Lower, Permission" was designed to be performed with a full band, who have joined them on a majority of live performances since. With a vitalogy and youth in this new season of performance, Brandon and the band began to bring to life sounds and energies that were waiting to emerge and be exclaimed for years. With a voice so long in the making, the newest material had been much awaited and acclaimed by both new and old listeners through its development as something that hearkens back to the roots of musical inspiration found in the early days of their listening and writing. You can watch their self-produced documentary about the writing and recording process here. 

After a season of rest, Brandon founded the annual Garfield Park Art & Music Festival in his neighborhood in 2018 has been working on new material to be released in 2020.



PRESS:

Jun 2019 - Garfield Park Art & Music Festival interview with Pattern Magazine

Jun 2019 - Garfield Park Art & Music Festival interview on WQRT FM

May 2019 - In Human Terms podcast "Masculinity-In Crisis or Evolving?"

Dec 2018 - Friends With Music Podcast "Brandon Wadley"

Mar 2018 - Tuned Up: "Indy's Brandon Wadley Impresses With His Unique Blend of Indie Rock on Lower, Permission"

Feb 2018 - "Lower, Permission: a documentary"

Feb 2016 - "Wilderness Hymnal Documentary"

Feb 2015 - Interview with the Asbury Collegian

Jan 2014 - "The Best Day: a documentary"


SOCIAL:

instagram : @brandonwadley

facebook : @brandonwadleymusic

youtube : @bwadify

LINEUP:

brandon wadley: guitar, vocals, etc.

jarrod bright: drums

jared garner: electric guitar, brass, keys, etc.
phil "adelphia cheesesteak" lofton: alternative percussion, alto sax, etc.

andrew roti: bass