Press Info

"Yoder attacks his instrument with amazing
technique, precision and dynamics."
--Byron Nash, Rock ‘N Roll Reporter

"Yoder turned in a strong performance, featuring
the most original songwriting, à la Freedy Johnston.”
-Dawn Patton, InPittsburgh Newseekly
reviewing the Graffiti Rock Challenge

"A few people have made debut discs this impressive--
Dar Williams comes to mind. You can add Brad to that list..."
-Christine Lavin (www.christinelavin.com/sidetrips.html)

"...all the best qualities of the contemporary singer-songwriter."
-Micah Engber, Maine Public Radio

"Fully-formed songs evocative of
Michael Stipe by way of Bruce Cockburn."
-Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Brad Yoder really knows how to work an audience."
-John Young, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Folk-rock for ordinary folks tired of ordinary folk music!”
-Mark Stricker, Clarion University

Similar Artists

Ron Sexsmith,Greg Brown,REM,Ani DiFranco, Billy Bragg

Influences

Paul Westerberg,Elvis Costello,Victoria Williams,Joni Mitchell

Bio

Being voted "Best Solo Musician" in the 2001 InPittsburgh Newsweekly Readers' Poll has forced Pittsburgh singer-songwriter Brad Yoder to reconsidered his evaluation of such polls as meaningless popularity contests; it's also a much better lead-in than the same publication's 1997 declaration that he "is everything a '90's singer-songwriter should be!" In addition to "ruling the Pittsburgh coffeehouse scene" (Pittsburgh Magazine), Brad has performed at the Smoky City Folk Festival, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and showcased at last year's North by Northeast Music Conference in Toronto. At SurgeFest 1999, a festival of Pittsburgh-area rock/pop artists, his performance was lauded as "especially good" by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Brad has also opened for Todd Snider, the Nields, Ellis Paul, Lucy Kaplansky, Carrie Newcomer, Jim Roll, the Vigilantes of Love, and other fine artists you wouldn't necessarily recognize.

The always-generous Christine Lavin placed Brad's debut disc, 1997's Best Sunday Heart, in a class with Dar Williams' Honesty Room; over 1200 copies have been sold to date (of BSH; Honesty Room has done better). Brad's 1999 live solo release, Talk to Total Strangers, has sold over 850 copies. Brad received production help on both records from engineer/producer Peter Beckerman, who has worked with such diverse acts as the Skatalites, Delbert McClinton, and Sonic Youth. Both records are still spun locally on WYEP, and have been played by a random smatterin