Ontario, Canada musician Braden Barrie (who often records under the name SayWeCanFly) has launched a crowdfunding campaign in support of his new full-length albums Limitless & Beautiful Mess which are available now for preorder. 5% of all sales will be donated to To Write Love On Her Arms, in support of suicide prevention and awareness.
Constantly releasing new content & connecting with his listeners, Braden’s social media following has grown from nothing to collectively over a million in just a few short years. To date, his songs have been streamed over 30 million times and sold more than 130,000 copies.
After dropping out of high school to pursue a life on the road, Braden has played shows for hundreds of thousands of people across North America, the UK & Europe. He has released a total of seven studio albums including his first full length Between The Roses which sold over 10,000 copies and hit the Billboard charts.
In both 2015 & 2016, Braden was given a spot on the entire Vans Warped Tour; the largest touring festival in North America, where he played alongside bands like Pierce The Veil, Bebe Rexha, Sleeping With Sirens, Riff Raff, Sum 41, Metro Station, New Found Glory and Good Charlotte. His music videos began receiving airtime on MTV along with being featured in print magazines such as Alternative Press, Rocksound, Kerrang & Guitar World.
Braden continually pushes the limits on what it means to write from the heart by sharing pieces of his journey through music.
After a brief stint on Epitaph Records, Braden is currently working to release his next two full-length albums independently through his own record label, Purewolf Records.
Check out the IndieGoGo campaign and video below!
We managed to catch up with Braden a week ago a he talked about the campaign and more!
So how much are you looking forward to releasing Limitless and Beautiful
Mess, are you confident that your fans will help you make these happen?
I’m so stoked to release these two albums. It feels great to do something different… and I’ve been working on them for such a long time. I’m stoked because along the way I’ve been sharing little pieces of writing, production, etc. on social media. So I think it already kind of feels like my listeners have been really involved. But regardless, they are always the driving force behind everything and I know we will make it happen one way or another.
Will these releases be any different to your previous work?
I’m at a completely different place in my life every time I release an album, so they definitely will. But truthfully the acoustic album Beautiful Mess actually reminds me way more of my older acoustic music, and I’m stoked about that. It feels like I went back to my roots a little bit with that one. But as for Limitless, it’s something completely new. I’ve never put out a song with a drop before, and I’m really excited to release something loud.
So you’re nearly at 10% of your $100,000 goal, what do you say to your
fans have contributed already?
I’m so thankful to everyone who has donated and even shared my campaign. These are my first independent releases since 2015 and just knowing that those people care so much is incredible… and really does help me feel that I’m on the right path with everything. And it’s just cool to know that we are literally creating something together.
If you could work with any artist or band on a new song, who would it be
and why?
Honestly I have to say if I could work with any artist in the world right now, it would be Skrillex. He’s my favourite producer of all time and just has this energy that I’ve never felt from anyone else. I love working with people who are down to earth and really good at what they do. He’s a huge inspiration of mine as a person and artist.
What’s the alternative scene like in Ontario?
I haven’t done much touring in Ontario the last few years, but that’s where I got my start. All of the kids there are incredibly supportive and just down to hangout and listen to music.
Just how much does To Write Love On Her Arms mean to you?
They’re amazing. I’ve known about them since I started making music, and they’ve always been a name I’ve looked up to because of how much they help people. And not only that, I know for a fact they have helped a ton of my listeners as well. I’m really honoured to work with them on this album cycle.
Have you got any shows lined up for 2018?
I’m working on setting some up right now!
So you dropped out of high school to pursue your dream at the start, do
you still stand by that decision?
Absolutely. I’ll never sit here and tell anyone what’s right for them, because only we know that for ourselves. But taking that leap of faith really pushed me to work hard and just figure it out. It taught me to believe in myself and just go for what feels right. There’s just not really a degree for what I wanted to do with my life.
What’s it like producing new music yourself rather than working with
another record label, is it easier?
It’s definitely cool to have that freedom. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s easier because there’s something special about being in an actual studio with other people who are vibing with the music. But having a patch where I’ve been self producing has taught me SO much, and I’ve had to learn things on my own. It’s always nice to know there’s no time limit while I’m working on a song and I can make music for 24 hours straight if I wanted. But I definitely want to do my next album in a studio again.
Braden Barrie/SayWeCanFly has also announced dates for the all-ages, 20-city ‘I’m Another You’ national headline tour, which kicks off with a show at Emo Night Buffalo in Buffalo, NY on May 3rd. The trek runs through June 5th.
MAY 03- Emo Night Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
MAY 06- Musica, Akron, OH
MAY 09- The Garage, Burnsville, MN
MAY 10- Wire, Berwyn, IL
MAY 13- Lost Lake, Denver, CO
MAY 14- The Loading Dock- Salt Lake City, UT
MAY 17- Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA
MAY 18- House of Blues San Diego (Voodoo Room), San Diego, CA
MAY 19- Pub Rock, Phoenix, AZ
MAY 22- The Greenroom at Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
MAY 24- Prophet Bar, Dallas, TX
MAY 26- Rocketown, Nashville, TN
MAY 27- The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
MAY 28- Shaka’s Live, Virginia Beach, VA
MAY 30- Jammin Java, Vienna, VA
JUN 01- Sonia’s, Cambridge, MA
JUN 02- Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
JUN 03- Rumba Cafe, Columbus, OH
JUN 04- Voltage Lounge, Philadelphia, PA
JUN 05- Metro Gallery, Baltimore, MD