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Braddigan

Joe Conway: hola hermano!

Brad Corrigan: hey there buddy!


JC: Can you tell me about Japan ?

BC: Japan was a wild ride for sure... have always dreamed of getting overseas to play and share my music! So this was really the first time that bc of my music I was invited into another country... I've definitely done a Lot of int'l work the last 4-5 years where my music played a part... but this was just super cool bc the music was the bridge for me to get over to Japan!


JC: Watchfires was the first indie record in Tokyo , yeah?

BC: first indie record in Tokyo ? no, they actually support a ton of indie acts over there


JC: that's so cool

BC: wish it was like that here in the states


JC: me too

BC: the tower records stores over there are just huge! and they put so much emphasis on the music they like rather than the music they are told to push bc of advertising dollars


JC: that's how it should be; too bad it's not like that in the U.S.

BC: the managers can play whatever music they want in the stores, they can play what they want on their video screens, they can spin what they want to expose on their listening stations. so I ended up getting the ultimate hook up over there! I had a HUGE display that would only come w a major label marketing dollars over here... I mean they really went the distance to make me feel welcome and to introduce my music- I think we've already sold 400 records or so in their stores since may!


JC: now, you played like 9 shows in Japan , yeah?

BC: yea man, we went over there w 3 in-store shows lined up in Tokyo and Osaka and then while we were there every door you can imagine opened for us! we ended up playing 6 more shows in the next 3 days- and we were cruising all over the country on their high speed trains, surfing some waves, eating sushi, and just loving it making friends wherever we went!


JC: that's awesome

BC: we played a few shows on a navy base in Yokosuka which was really an honor for us... such a powerful experience to really understand what sacrifices are being made daily by all the individuals and families that are in the military-
and we played a Young Life/ Christian Surfers show too which was really fun...I mean we were just all over the place, it was amazing-
can't wait to get back out there


JC: totally, and you just returned from Nica a few days ago?

BC: yea man, Nica is becoming a 2nd home to me, I just love it over there... and


JC: what exactly are you doing, building an orphanage? I never actually understood what it was exactly that you were doing

BC: it really does feel like i'm going to end up spending more and more time there in the future


JC: that's really awesome

BC: well I've been blessed to be a part of a lot of different worlds over there- my first introduction to nicaragua was through a benefit show I played here in virginia beach for casa bernabe, a 40 acre farm & orphanage in veracruz , nica...
so my first trip to nica I went to visit the kiddos, and the rest s history they've had a hold of my heart since I stepped foot on the farm


JC: yeah, kids are incredible, so full of life and wonder

BC: and now I go there 5-6 times a year just to hang and play w the little ones... they've completely changed my life and perspective- just so much fun to get to be with them!


JC: I bet. especially bc they have no family, no home of their own.

BC: and since then I've also been poking around other parts of the country looking for opportunities to bring my music and love for the people...and man, be careful what you ask God for because He delivers


JC: did you ask for a bunch of kids?

BC: ha, yea right! Someday. sort of though... bc I don't have my own kids God has been calling me to His little ones that need to be loved and protected-


JC: yeah, that's what I meant, since you don't have kids of your own, God has given you a bunch of kids who need you

BC: I've since been drawn to a trash dump community called La Chureca-


JC: La Chureca?

BC: in La Chureca I've found a community of 400-500 people that literally live inside a trash dump...


JC: what?

BC: they have built their little shanties in and among the mountains of trash


JC: that's aweful, any way of getting them to a sanitary place?

BC: and every day they run after the trash trucks and rummage through the fresh dumps looking for food and recyclables...


JC: wow, that's the definition of poverty if I've ever seen one...man, wow

BC: some of the most beautiful people you've ever seen ever... living in an absolute wasteland-
but they are hopeful, not despondent-
they're not broken, they have dignity and are trying to make a life


JC: you figure it would be the other way around

BC: yea I know man


JC: good for them, that's awesome. I used to not know how to deal with it all
and now there's no place i'd rather be! yeah, how do you deal with it? I don't know if I could do it, that's tough


BC: I've made friends enough now within the dump that I am having an impact...
we come with food, smiles, our guitars and just walk with the people there


JC: that's great, music is a great way to reach out to people

BC: but a lot of the children are addicted to huffing glue... and there's some unspoken prostitution that goes on as well-


JC: wow

BC: so we're digging in our heels, myself and a handful of friends of mine...


JC: to try and improve their situation? anything I can do to help?

BC: we're just praying for opportunities to meet and work with families to get their kids free of all the junk...


JC: maybe if the trash guys found another place to dump the garbage, the area could be cleaned and, well, that's a start

BC: well man, we'll see... we'll just wait and see and keep remaining present in their lives-


JC: that's wild though

BC: and yea, I am chewing on some plans to start a new foundation


JC: yeah?

BC: so you'll be able to kick in some support someday soon however you see fit!


JC: what's the new foundation

BC: I think we're going to call it the Love, Light, and Melody Foundation...
wow, that's the first time I've really written it out like that-
God just gave me that a few days ago and I can feel that it already has legs to roll!
I love it man... good stuff-


JC: what's it going to do

BC :3 things
Love- meeting people's physical needs where they are... food, clothing, medical-
Light- bringing "light", or awareness, into the darkness of poverty and injustice wherever we are led to work...


JC: and Melody, bring music to impoverished people?

BC: Melody- bringing music… amen


JC: that sounds like a great thing, it's only in the planning stages right now, though, yeah?

BC: music can bring such a powerful and mysterious spiritual lift in life man... so much fun, joy, healing, and dancing can come from it so we're going to bring harmonicas, guitars, drums with us wherever we go to bless the kids with an escape-
bro, this is the first time I've written any of this down we're talking wet cement here but i'm already liking the feel and vision of it...
so i'll keep you posted-


JC: please do

BC :alright dogger- have to jet
but keep your ear to the ground because we've got all kinds of plans for some wild adventures this fall!
a return trip to japan in sept/oct


JC: can't wait!

BC: starting to record record # 2
scoring and recording music for the latest Walking on Water surfing film-


JC: man, things are really taking off, this fall is going to be incredible!

BC: a possible live dvd release later this fall w special feature film footage from nicaragua and japan-


JC: like an under the radar kind of thing?

BC: well I could tell you...
but then you know..


JC: it would ruin the surprise!

BC: i'd have to well put you in a very small box!


JC: haha

BC: re-recording Watchfires vocals in spanish for all of you latin heads out there


JC: I want to hear that

BC: alright jersey joe... gotta run but thanks for all you're doin' man-
and what other way to sign off? love, light, andmelody...bc


JC: nice, catch w you later bro. Before you leave…Shawn Simpson and Ohana, any big plans?

BC: yea man, our plans are just to give ohana legs; it's been a seed to a dream for a long while now with little activity...


JC: so Shawn's just there to help it grow?

BC: and so we've been looking for someone to run point that really gets the heart of what we're going for... and that's shawn to a T


JC: I've emailed him and he seems like a great guy

BC: yea, he's the best-
so stoked and always ready to do whatever-


JC: that's great

BC: so he's really going to guide how ohana grows based on how all of you as ohana members want it to...


JC: o, ok, that's cool

BC: and then james, shawn, and I will keep visioncasting together all the ways we want Ohana to grow as well...it's going to be a cool community...
can't wait-


JC: it's a big family, literally, haha

BC: you should see the hats we just printed up...they're sicko!


JC: I want one!

BC; a lot more to come-
well you can only get one right now through the ohana reward points deal...
so just keep cracking away!
gotta run-


JC: later man