I'll Take You In

A singer/songwriter whose influences include Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens and Tom Petty, Brad Bayley's songwriting covers a range of musical styles that run all the way from traditional country to M.O.R. pop. A songwriter who can truly be described as a "Folk Singer", Bayley first came into the public eye when producer George Blondheim, after hearing a cassette of Brad's material, asked him to write and perform a song at a benefit concert being held for Edmonton's Youth Emergency Shelter Society. That event led to Brad meeting Edmonton producer and guitarist Gary Koliger who produced Bayley's first album "Things I Didn't Say" which was completed in late 1993 and released in '94. The album received steady air play from coast to coast and within the next two years every song on the CD received air play either on radio or television. Two videos were released from the project, a traditional country tune, "Dance in 3/4 Time" and the more folky "Leaves On The Ground". The latter was played on Much Music's "Outlaws and Heroes", CBC's "The Country Beat", Nashville's TNN and was played for 16 weeks on CMT U.S.A.

Along the way Bayley has continued to play various festivals including the Merritt Mountain Music Festival in 1995, as well as the Edmonton Folk Festival that same year, where he participated in various songwriting workshops, culminating his appearance at the fest with his own show on Sunday. His journey as a performer has seen him appearing in concert with several notable Canadian musicians, a list that includes Tom Cochrane, Valdy, Blue Rodeo, Great Big Sea and more.

The 44 year old singer, who considers himself to be a songwriter first and foremost, has continued honing his craft by performing at some of the the most notable songwriting hot spots in North America, including Club Passim in Boston, and Nashville's Bluebird Cafe.

His notoriety as a songwriter has allowed him to garner an impressive list of participants who contributed their extraordinary abilities to his latest album "Success". The list is a veritable who's who of some of Alberta's finest musicians, including guitarists Russell Broom, Louis Sedmak, Gary Koliger and Mark Sterling, pedal steel player Jeff Bradshaw, pianist Chris Andrew, and Michael Lent who not only played bass guitar, but also produced the album. The list of vocalists on the project are also impressive, with both Lin Elder and Maren Ord each singing backup vocals on thek CD, as well as Calgary's Jann Arden, who not only lends her voice to some backups, but also joins Bayley in a haunting duet written by Mike Lent called "Everything's Right With The World". With that calibre of support lending their talent to the CD, the title "Success" may be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Brad enjoys the peace and quiet provided by the small northern community of Swan Hills, Alberta where he resides with his wife Alana, and their four children: Christina, Danielle, Reison and Wilson.