ABOUT.
Brad Garcia’s music has always been defined by its earnest and unapologetic honesty, with songwriting that incorporates candid prose, vivid imagery and dramatic poignancy.
Garcia’s career in music began in 2012, when the young musician formed the band Safe to Say— an emo rock group from Markham, Ont. who cemented themselves as a prominent figure in Southern Ontario's thriving pop-punk scene during the 2010's. Led by Garcia, the band would go on to release two studio albums and three EPs over the better part of a decade. During that time, they signed record deals with indie labels SideOneDummy and New Damage and toured extensively across Canada, the U.S., Europe and the U.K., including a summer on the Warped Tour. Also having appeared on multiple tours as a fill-in for the Toronto punk-rock outfit Like Pacific (Pure Noise Records), Garcia officially joined the group in late 2018. After a two-year hiatus, the members of STS reconvened in 2019 under the name of Locket (Fearless Records), releasing their debut record "All Out" in 2019, and sophomore offering "Superluminal," in 2023. Over the years, Garcia’s output with his bands has earned positive media coverage from the likes of Billboard, VICE, Exclaim!, Alternative Press and more.
Long before that though, music was always a part of Garcia’s life story. He grew up in a musical household, surrounded by his dad’s guitars and the sounds of country music, disco, the soulful sounds of Marvin Gaye, the underground rock ethos of ‘90s grunge bands and much more, thereby immersing him in a wide range of diverse musical styles throughout his formative younger years. He started playing the piano when he was five years old, picked up the guitar at 13, and started his first band in high school.
Years later, Garcia not only boasts an impressive list of achievements with his bands, but also a burgeoning career in the recording studio. Garcia works full-time as a composer, songwriter, and producer. His composition work has been seen on advertisements for major brands including the likes of Ford, Best Buy, and McDonald's. He is also a frequent collaborator with sketch comedian Graeme Barret (@audiopera). As a writer/producer, he has collaborated with artists across multiple genres and styles— among them, Nicole Dollanganger, Jarina De Marco, Kareen Lomax, Jung Youth, and Red Rosamond. In 2019 his band Locket signed with Concord, a world leader in music publishing
Garcia thinks of himself predominantly as a storyteller. It’s been an essential part of his songwriting process throughout his nearly 10-year career, and it’s an especially important element of composing emotionally compelling music for picture — making him well-suited to the job. Whether it’s in music, film, print or elsewhere, the best stories deal with subjects that are universal and deeply human. For Garcia, it’s all about making a connection with people. The sense of vulnerability that’s an innate part of Garcia’s music is what makes it so easy for someone to quickly and deeply connect with his work.
With a highly respectable place in the alternative music scene, a promising career in cross-genre composition and side gigs in journalism and video production, Brad Garcia has established himself as a prolific creator with an array of specialties. Whether it’s on stage or behind the scenes, his own story is only just beginning.