LA artist Nelson Bragg (NB), former member of The Brian Wilson Band, is someone whose work is immaculate indie pop, with classic strains of British Invasion influence running through his songs. Thank you to Nelson and Big Stir Records for setting this up.
EK: How did you get started in music? Who in your life or experience influenced you the most?
NB: To be fair, my ADHD and what they called “hyper-activity” back in the 60’s and 70’s led me to the drums….always tapping, drumming on everything. That’s it. My nervous system caused my future in music in a way. Compositionally, I got an acoustic guitar from a stepfather in 1978 and started writing songs. So that was a big deal having that scope in tandem with drumming. I became an instrumentalist AND a composer/singer. Music saved my life like Elton John kinda said. As time went on, I discovered artists like George Harrison, David Crosby, REM, Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey, and Canadian band The Grapes Of Wrath. Those guys informed me of where I would go as a writer. Drum-wise? Keith Moon is God to me. He did things no other drummer could or even WANTED to do within a band context. The Who often recorded and arranged AROUND their drummer. Let that sink in for a minute.
EK: Your work hearkens back to a time when musical ability and craftsmanship were paramount. Many artists have stepped away from that and ushered in AI and Auto Tune. How do you stay committed to a course and the immaculate work that you do?
NB: Good artists care about art. They care about the number of times people absorb their art. We want to be proud of what we make. Those are the art creators. The others are content creators and they describe themselves as that very thing. I make songs, not content. It’s a sad state of affairs when Tik-Tok, Instagram and Spotify control your decisions about what you make. Those people may make a little money much faster and feel soft and squishy about the algorithms behind it, but it’s all landfill in my book…it’s drek. I am proud to create music made by people playing pieces of wood in a recording studio space with classic song structure and a lotta love! If I like it, my listeners will like it. That’s all that matters. Both parties are happy, and for many, many years to come, I hope my records are in the cut-out bins for 50 of those years….not a lost forgotten ether bound digi-file.
.EK: Can you tell us how you met Brian Wilson and became part of his band? What was it like working with such a legendary figure?
NB: So I had been playing in bands on the East coast from 1979 – 1999, 20 years, with limited success. NYC kicked my ass in the late 80’s and Los Angeles really felt like my last chance at significant success in music. So I did the classic American tale…Go West Young Man!! Playing drums and singing in melodic, psych, soft and power pop bands for five years in LA clubs and studios put me on the radar with a couple of people: Darian Sahanaja and Jeff Foskett….both music and vocal directors for The Brian Wilson Band. When Mikey D’Amico could not tour in 2003 as percussionist/vocals guy, I got the call from Darian. I was a percussionist/singer now debuting SMiLE in London three months later. My plan had worked. I went to where the music lived…the music I wanted to play.
Working with Brian was a dream. He was sensitive, charming, a little bizarre sometimes, and a great vocal director. He shot out vocal parts to us in the studio like he did as a younger man. He was impatient and had dog ears….he heard between the notes and parts we could never fathom. Live, he seemed a bit scared, but in truth he was just internalizing the concert and enjoying the moment INSIDE. Brian was not great at showing joy or even smiling sometimes. But he had the time of his life with his band. Did I mention how incredibly funny he was?? Side splitting. No kidding.
EK: How involved were you with the SMILE album?
NB: I was hired for the SMiLE album tour and recordings as percussionist/vocalist. My first practices and first meetings with the band were at the very first vocal practices at Brian’s house. It’s all documented on Beautiful Dreamer – The Story of SMiLE and Brian Wilson so….I was involved quite heavily. In fact I played all the intro whistles, percussion and noises at the intro of “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow”, which won a Grammy that year. They were glorious times for sure….God…..now 22 years ago.
EK: Can you tell us how you connected with the great folks at Big Stir Records? They’ve quickly become my favorite label.
NB: I’ve been friends with Rex, Christine and with many of their artists for many years now. But I never thought about working with them. One day we talked about maybe doing something and the Pop Anthology concept came up….a “Best Of…” with a new song, remixes, and rare stuff added. It was a really good idea. I’m all about the power pop and so are they!
EK: Your compilation is an absolute treasure! In my top ten releases of the year so far, with hints of Love, Beach Boys, and many others! In conjunction with the question preceding this one, was this an idea you already had formulated for this record?
NB: Boy….not really. You see, I only have three albums and a 45 under my belt…plus some songs with the Celsi, Bragg & Maitland album from 2017. BUT, and this is a big point to make, that stuff was made in a 20 year window so, so because so much time has passed, a “Best Of…” would really act as a new record honestly. Yeah, it became a good idea on hindsight. Many younger people…newer pop fans would discover my music for the first time through this release. I am so greatly flattered that you mentioned LOVE as an influence!! That is high praise for me!!
EK: Can you describe some of your experiences collaborating with other musicians, like Chris Stamey and the Wrecking Crew?
NB: Well, l I have very proudly played drums/sang for Chris Stamey many times here in the LA area, but it is with his sometime partner Peter Holsapple that I actually wrote a song with. That song, as magnificent as it is, did not make this collection as it didn’t fit with the concept of Melodie de Nelson: “All Power Pop and Folk Pop. All Day and Night!” But yeah, nothing beats working with your heroes!! The Wrecking Crew album was from very exciting 2007 sessions in Hollywood that were recorded as a soundtrack to an unfinished documentary about the creator of the skateboard, Larry Stevenson. Working with Hal Blaine, Don Randi, and Jerry Cole was a dream come true. Don has since become a dear friend and for a long time, I have mourned the loss of Hal and Jerry. They were incredible people and obviously treasured players on the history of pop music. The Makaha Sessions album we produced featured them on eight top 10 singles they originally played on recreated lovingly for the album. It turned out beautifully and sold out for Record Store Day 2025 on my Steel Derrick Music label. So yeah, I’m having a really great year in 2025 despite the hell we are enduring in the USA right now.
EK: Can you tell us a bit about your recording process?
NB: I have no studio. I book time in studios and hire the players to play the instruments I cannot play plus singers I need for special parts. But generally, I’m one of those multi-instrumentalists who must play everything I can in order to get the results only my brain will accept. I play acoustic guitars, drums, percussion, all vocals, and like ya know, easy piano, bass and electric guitar parts or other unusual instruments I love. I gotta hire my beloved friends to play the tough bass, most electric guitar, and piano and organ. I mix and attend mastering sessions and I design all the album art for production. I have geniuses to work the art and design programs for me however. I get by with a little help…..you get the picture.
EK: How prolific a songwriter are you? What would you say informs your writing the most?
NB: I’m not very prolific, and I would say most songs are autobiographical. Because of that, I’m not very prolific. I’ve kinda said all I can say about whatever meant something to me in life. But …ya know…I have songs about “whatever” as well…..like my tune “No Ones Home In Hollywood.” I’m not a guy that always writes. I cobble records together. That said, if I need material, I write it. But generally, If I don’t have to write, I won’t. I’m not self-indulgent, or at least I try not to be. That said, I respect those who can just write any time they want successfully.
EK: Do you have a favorite guitar or other equipment that you favor?
NB: I do LOVE Gibson acoustic guitars and Ludwig drums. I also have a beautiful LP Percussion endorsement that allows me to have the best of the best in their amazing gear catalogue. LP has been really good to me.
EK: As a record collector, how many albums do you own? How do you catalog them?
NB: NOW we’re getting to the IMPORTANT questions!!! OK SO……I’ve got about 1600 LP’s and 1500 CDs, maybe 300 cassettes and 400 45’s. I catalogue by genre first, then within that genre by decade, then within that decade, by the “most titles owned” by an artist all alphabetically…then the remaining artists within that decade alphabetically. So, Rock, 60’s 70’s 80’s 90’s-2020’s, into Jazz 50’s 60’s 70’s 80’s into SDTKs 50’s 60’s 70’s 80’s 90’s into world music, lounge, exotica and mid-century instrumental records then miscellaneous weirdness. Make sense?
EK: Moving forward, do you think you’ll tour behind this compilation along with the relaunch of your back catalog on streaming services?
NB: No I sadly will not. THAT SAID…I am playing 6 shows in Dublin and London first two weeks of this coming November with Celsi, Bragg & Maitland. They are my dear sweet friends and I cannot tell you how much I love them. We sing together amazingly well so….YES….I am playing songs of mine with them!! Nov. 4-12. Two shows in Dublin and three shows in London with MAYBE one show in Brighton! We’ll see.
Catch up with Nelson on Facebook.
