BRIAN JUDAH BIO
by Ed Sherman
Entertainment Attorney
Brian Judah is a multi-talented singer, songwriter, musician, performer, and record producer. He was nominated for a record-breaking 6 L.A. Music Awards this year, and ended up walking home with 3 awards, including their most prestigious award, The 2008 Male Singer-Songwriter of the Year. Music has been Brian's ultimate passion since he was just a couple years old. He has been composing songs since the age of 9 years old and continues to compose every day. Brian has a soft spot for the piano, but he also plays a number of other instruments professionally, which include drums, percussion, guitar, bass and keyboards. He is influenced by a very wide variety of artists and groups from Guns N' Roses, Queen and Stone Temple Pilots, all the way to Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond, and then to the more eclectic artists like Bjork, Radiohead, Tom Waits and Kraftwerk. He says that the music he's currently creating is probably considered Alternative/Rock/Pop, however, he is of the opinion that Alternative/Rock/Pop would be "a vague classification".
Born and still living in Los Angeles, this music machine just recently completed his debut album "Garden Of Edith", which is his version of a "theatrical rock opera concept record". He calls the record "a soundtrack to the first 26 years of his life". It features string and choral arrangements throughout the entire record by multi-Grammy-winning David Campbell, and elite drumming by Abe Laboriel Jr. and Matt Chamberlain. The album was mixed by Tchad Blake at Peter Gabriel's Real World studio in England, and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in New York. Just recently, Brian won the 2008 Concept Album of the Year L.A. Music Award for this album.
Brian had a huge recording and publishing deal for four years with a big indie label called DC3 Entertainment, and had a distribution deal with EMI. DC3 is owned by Jon Phelps, who also owns the well-known and respected Fullsail School in Florida. Unfortunately, Mr. Phelps' company had other interests to pursue and decided to part with all of their artists around the beginning of 2007. Kindly and fortunately though, Brian was given his debut album and all of his publishing back to him, which amounted to over three million dollars. Presently, Brian owns all of his publishing, which includes a catalog of over one-hundred solid songs, and also solely owns his debut album masterpiece "Garden Of Edith", which is titled in honor of his mother Edith Judah who passed away from breast cancer when Brian was just 17 years old.
Today, Brian is more eager and ready than ever to communicate his uniquely honest, passionate and intense music to the world on a very large scale. Brian is, one, looking for a new recording and publishing deal, and two, looking to begin production immediately on a brand new album. Currently, he’s spending most of his time writing and recording lots of new material. He also has an awesome band that is performing with him around Los Angeles right now and they are completely ready to tour and promote his music. Again, music has been Brian's ultimate passion since that magical moment when he first heard a note, and with music undoubtedly continuing to be his ultimate passion throughout his life, Brian is intensely determined to have a very long and successful career.
____________________________________________________________________
"GARDEN OF EDITH" Concept Album ~ MAIN CREDITS / EXPLANATION
ARTIST: Brian Judah
ALBUM TITLE: Garden of Edith
PRODUCERS: Jon Phelps & Brian Judah
RECORD LABEL: (Currently Unsigned)
ENGINEERS: Martin Woodlee, Allen Sides, Oz Fritz
ASSISTANT ENGINEERS: Barrett Miller, Brad Johnson, Christopher Pierce, Greg Burns, Timin Murray
MIXING: Tchad Blake
ASSISTANT MIXING: Claire Lewis
MASTERING: Greg Calbi
ASSISTANT MASTERING: Steve Fallone
ORCHESTRAL & CHORAL ARRANGEMENTS: David Campbell
DRUMS: Abe Laboriel Jr., Matt Chamberlain
BASS: Viktor Krauss, Tommy Sims
GUITARS: Mike Keneally, Dan Phelps, Brian Judah
VOCALS, PIANO, KEYBOARDS, FX: Brian Judah
Studio Videography and Photography by Steve Porter
CD Booklet Photography by Chip Simons
All Lyrics & Music by Brian Judah
except lyrics on “Madeline’s Ghost”, “Insomnia Sleeps” and “Didn’t I”
by Timmi Derosa and Brian Judah
This album was made without the use of any type of pitch correction software.
A couple songs on this album contain recordings of animal sounds -- no animals were harmed during the making of this album.
In Memory of Edith Judah (1949-1995)
_____________________________________________________________________
BRIAN TALKS ABOUT HIS CONCEPT ALBUM "GARDEN OF EDITH"
Hello, I’m Brian Judah. Music is my life, simply because without it I know I’d be dead. I just completed my album called “Garden of Edith”. It is a concept record. I came up with the concept and overall vision of “Garden Of Edith” about 4 years ago. When I was 17, my mother passed away from breast cancer. Her dream was for her two sons’ dreams to come true, so I decided to title my first album “Garden Of Edith” because one, she always wanted a garden of her own that she didn’t get the chance to have, and two, the garden represents the blossoming of her two sons. I wanted my debut album to be this insane combination of all my favorite influences combined with everything I know I am as a human being up to this point in my life. I’m usually not a fan of a large production record, but if it’s done right and has honesty and meaning behind it, go for it. So I did. This concept album is what I like to call “a soundtrack to the first 27 years of my life.” It discusses the loss of my mother, my struggle with God, overcoming addiction, and the consequences of falling in love.
The first song on the album following the prelude is the title track “Garden Of Edith”. “Garden Of Edith” does have several meanings. In the song, I’m talking about the imaginary place I sometimes go to continue my life with my mother. It was actually inspired by the cemetery she was buried in. When I closed my eyes, while sitting by her grave, the cemetery became the “Garden Of Edith” in my head. “There’s a tree that I can climb and safely reach the top. And without me being afraid of heights, I fall into her arms. I’m satisfied. A life worth dying for.”
The album closes with a song called “Hopefully Heaven”. As a kid, I had my ups and downs with God, but overall, I believed. After the loss of my mother, I became extremely angry and felt betrayed by a God who at that point, I finally gave up on. For the last decade, it’s been a very slow process in trying to bring back my faith in God and I haven’t succeeded yet, and maybe I never will, but I have been trying to give God another chance. This song is about my struggle with God and how I’ll do anything for a sign to show me that he really exists. It’s a song that I think more people than you could imagine will relate closely to. “Can you send me a photograph? Just let me take a sneak peak. Hit me with a bolt of lightning at the count of three. Anything just to make me believe.”
The rest of the album mostly talks about my strong passion for honesty. Human beings seem to lie more than tell the truth. This is a problem I feel we all need to work on and I’d be more than happy to be a leader, not a commander, to help change the world a bit, at least in this one aspect. I’m not sure about other artists, but a lot of the time I have more than myself and the subject matter in mind when writing a song; I always try to think of the listener and how I can help the listener, or, if the song has uncertainties or questions about life, then how the listener might be able to help me. Communication is key but it’s nothing without honesty.
There’s a song called “Life Is Death”, which discusses my paranoia of dishonesty, particularly with women I’ve fallen in love with, but also how not all women are the same, and how just because one or two women were unfaithful to me, it should have nothing to do with how I treat the woman I’m with now. I wrote this song for my ex-girlfriend’s birthday about 5 years ago. “Life is death if I can’t live it with you.”
Lastly, there’s also a song about addiction on the album called ‘Chasing Devils”. My brother inspired this during rehab for his gambling problem. I also have the gambling addiction inside me, but I was fortunate to get the gift of music at a very young age as an alternative outlet. My brother has a gift as well; it’s just that he’s still searching for it, and I know he’ll find it soon. I believe that everyone has a gift; some just take longer than others to find it, that’s all. “Chasing Devils” is an Elvis-Presley-meets-hard-rock wacky celebration to overcoming addiction. “My name is human, and I’m an addict. Yeah I’m just like every single one of you fools.”
Musically, the album is my own version of theatrical rock; my version of a "rock opera". That’s the best I can describe it. I don’t take drugs and I usually don’t come across as a guy with a negative attitude towards people in general, but I guess I need my music to take those drugs and to have some of that attitude to compensate in a very strange way. It makes sense to me how artists are sometimes a bit different as people than their music. It’s because some artists like myself usually choose to say everything that they want to communicate in a song before they communicate it in public. This album is probably longer than most debut albums normally are, but it doesn’t matter to me. I’m not a fan of editing too much. Let radio do it if they have to. I want to say everything that I want to say, and if the listener doesn’t have the patience, that’s totally cool; I’m well aware that this album won’t please everyone. It’s so movie-like, that in a sense, it’s like watching a movie when you close your eyes and listen. If someone could enjoy a good movie over 90 minutes, then I see no reason why someone couldn’t enjoy a good album just over 70 minutes in length. Well, that’s the album in a pretty big nutshell. I promise I will have it available asap. Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading.
-Brian :)
Influences
Bjork, Radiohead, Interpol, Guns N' Roses, System Of A Down, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Stone Temple Pilots, Paris Combo, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Kraftwerk, Queen, Faith No More, Queens Of The Stone Age, Miles Davis, Billy Joel, Portishead, Skid Row, Warrant, Poison, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Slaughter, Bon Jovi (old), Blur, Peter Gabriel, Meat Loaf, Enya, Nirvana, Travis, Fiona Apple, Alice In Chains, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Frankie Laine, The Roots, Pearl Jam, Jon Brion, Rick Rubin, Avenged Seven Fold, The White Stripes, West Indian Girl, Jellyfish, Danny Elfman, The Black Crowes, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Run DMC, Green Day, Alice Deejay's "Better Off Alone" (best fucking song ever...well, dance song), The Presidents Of The United States Of America, John Mayer, Sublime, Live (1st 3 albums only), Garage A Trois, Beck, Frank Zappa, Oasis, Johnny Cash, L7, Carl Orff, Hole, Jimi Hendrix, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tom Petty, Little Big Town, Kanye West, Keane, Coldplay, Spin Doctors, David Campbell, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, Prince, Weezer, Tracy Bonham, Scott Weiland, Natalie Merchant (Tigerlily), Weird Al Yankovic, The Offspring, Soundgarden, Silverchair (Diorama only), Kings Of Leon, Roy Orbison
I’m just running a little late
Don’t think that I’ve been wasting time, time
I’d like to make toast to
The wicked roller coaster of life, life
As I go with the flow of the breeze
‘cause I’m feeling it in my bones
No, my hands and knees
Are not going down this time
Nothing like a fresh start
Me and my repaired heart tryin’, still tryin’
I plan on shining so bright
I’ll blind all evil eyes this time, it’s about time
As I go with the flow of the breeze
‘cause I’m feeling it in my bones
No, my hands and knees
Are not going down this time
I don’t need the jealousy of psychopaths who go way too far
You try to hide behind my back and sneak attack, you know damn well who you are
how could i ever really have regrets of every one of my mistakes
when I can honestly say I’m more than happy with who I am today
so I just flow with the breeze
‘cause I’m feeling it in my bones
won’t you come with me?
As I go with the flow of this new breeze
I said I’m feeling it in my bones
In these hands and in these knees
As I go with the flow of this new breeze
Said I’m feeling it in my bones
In these hands and in these knees
As I go with the flow of this new breeze
For once I’m feeling it in my bones
No, my hands and my knees
are not gonna’ beg this time
YOUR PHOTOGRAPH
(judah)
I’ve been staring at your photograph
Day and night trying to catch my breath
It’s nice to see your pretty smile last
Longer than I’ve ever seen it last
I’ve been crashing on your side of the bed
closest I can get to your scent
I stay asleep ‘cause in my dreams you’re mine
Last night I soothed you on a moonlight ride
Let me crawl into your legs tonight
Let my pillow be your thigh tonight
I’ve been homesick with your photograph
Wondering who’s making you laugh
My eyes are happy, but my heart’s alone
Just take my life, won’t you take me home
take me home
no matter where I walk, I’m walking in the rain
no matter what you feel, I’ll never let you down again
no matter what i do, i just can't put it down
no matter if you need me, I'll always be around
and if and when the day comes when you're walking in the rain
remember what I said, I'll never let you down again
I keep staring at your photograph
insanely thinking it might bring you back
it's hard to see that pretty smile last
Longer than I could ever make it last
FROZEN
(judah)
I replaced my life with you
I know you didn't ask me to
I chose to drink too much of you
now my body doesn't know what to do
what to do
they say I need to get over you
but what if I dont want to
I know you don’t feel exactly like I do
but I’m praying you’ll break through
and say I love you
every time I think how I might not ever see you again
flames begin to penetrate
right beneath my skin
burning so hot
that it's ice cold
I'm frozen
as your dizzy head collapses in my arms
my chest inhales your breath
and I wake up believing in god and thanking god
for the goddess in my bed
every time I think how I might not ever see you again
flames begin to penetrate right beneath my skin
burning so hot
that it's ice cold
I'm frozen
every time I think about your body on the next lucky man
begging him to penetrate through the walls that I broke in
and we burn so hot
that we’re ice cold
your heaven is my hell
and our mouthes won’t close
‘cause I'm frozen
what happened to me?
what have I become?
being hauled by a heart moving on
I’m frozen
a challenge to breathe
good chance I’ll blackout
this can’t be what love is about
I’m frozen
have I lost my strength?
did I trash my dreams?
or is it all still buried deep inside me
I’m frozen
I’m aware that my mind tells
my body what to do
but changing my mind might mean losing you
changing my mind might mean losing you
losing you
or have I already lost you?
tell me baby
is it true?
have I already lost you?
please don't tell me
I am just a friend
please don't tell me
that this is the end
I don't want these other women
I just want you
but if I can’t have you
what’s a man supposed to do?
they’re just pretty bodies and pretty faces
but they are not you baby
said they’re just pretty bodies and pretty faces
but I only care about you baby
I need to know exactly how you feel
'cause it’s either you and me
or a long, long time to heal
a long time to heal
if you ever fear the rainbow that connects us
is fading to black and white
just say the word and you have my word
I'll be on the next flight
I gotta fly to my angel before she flies away
I gotta fly to my angel before she flies away
before she flies away
DIDN'T I
(judah/derosa)
i could never read your mind
but didnt i always try?
i knew sometimes you had to lie
but didnt i just close my eyes?
well i thought i knew what i was getting myself into
though i knew i was never really right for you
tell me, didnt i give you all my strength?
didnt i give you all my faith?
i could never swallow my pride
but didnt i always kiss ya goodbye?
and didnt i always make you believe
you were the woman that you wanted to be?
well i thought i knew what i was getting myself into
though i knew i was never really right for you
tell me, didnt i give you all my strength?
didnt i give you all my faith?
didnt i love you babe?
didnt i love you anyway?
i thought i knew what i was getting myself into
and i knew i was never really right for you
tell me, wouldnt i give you anything?
and didnt i give you everything?
tell me, didnt i love you baby?
didnt i love you anyway?
i could never be in your crowd
but didnt i cheer as loud?
i could never excuse what you said
but didnt i make excuses instead?
i could never stop your pain
no, but didnt i?
didnt i?
didnt i?
ON THE CEILING
(judah/berns)
Got the ocean under my skin
Got my baby workin’ it in
Got the freedom flowin’ again
it's time, it's time, it's time
Got a bottle chillin’ my lap
Got the rays and they got my back
Got no beef but I ain’t takin’ no crap
This time, this time, this time
‘Cause I’m on the ceiling
Coming off this feeling
As I fall, still reeling
Summer is on my mind
Sgt. Pepper wakes us at noon
Summer lovin’ here in the room
Sounded like November Rain in June
This time, this time, this time
‘Cause I’m on the ceiling
Coming off this feeling
As I fall, still reeling
Summer is on my mind
watch the sun die over the hill
Was this all just some kind of thrill?
I don’t really wanna’ wait until
Next time, next time, next time
Next time, next time, next time
‘Cause I’m on the ceiling
Coming off this feeling
As I fall, still reeling
Summer is on my mind
‘Cause I’m on the ceiling
Coming off this feeling
As I fall, still reeling
Summer is on my mind
Yeah I know, and I know, and I know
You’ll be down next time
You’ll be down next time
And I’ll be 'round next time
I’ll be 'round next time
Sounded like November Rain in June
Sounded like November Rain in June
NOTHING IS SACRED
(judah/gosling/derosa)
you planned to pawn your body
but you left it at some party
and you don’t know who had it
you scribble in your diary
how a little wetness lights your fire
ink blurs as your tears drip
why would you want for us to die?
this is ‘bout more than just your life
you solemnly swear to me then lie
no wonder why
nothing is sacred
you’re standing there naked
giving up all that’s pure
experimentation
one bite, you’re taken
where innocence eternally burns
you duplicate yourself
and try to live as someone else
while asking which one’s the real you
so, do you like who you’ve become
now that you always ask yourself
how I became your new tattoo
it’s like spitting on our grave
you forgetting how I forgave
all the broken promises that you made
now you’ve conveyed
that nothing is sacred
you’re standing there naked
giving up all that’s pure
experimentation
one bite, you’re taken
where innocence eternally burns
you collide in your mind
juggling your two sides
and in the meantime
I just wish you were mine
GORGEOUS WHEN YOU CRY
(judah)
you’re all curled up inside
you’ve run out of places to hide
and somewhere out of your spotlight
in my desperate mind
I'm right by your side
you do nothing wrong in my eyes
when you're fast asleep
I untie the pain off your feet
and I research your baby face
though my eyes find peace
I see the disease
I wish you’d cry for help
but you can’t help the tease
you can draw my blood
to paint us a heart
as a truthful symbol of who we are
you're still beautiful when you lie
but you're gorgeous when you cry
I'm just one of your cigarettes
I'm just a brand new dress
at least I'm yours I guess
I'm the face of a dog poked through your gate
begging you that someday you'll be worth the wait
you can draw my blood
to paint us a heart
as a truthful symbol of who we are
you're still beautiful when you lie
but you're gorgeous when you cry
when you cry
you can draw my blood
and paint us a heart
as a truthful symbol of who we are
you're still beautiful when you lie
but you're gorgeous when you cry
you’re still beautiful
when you’re high
but you’re so gorgeous when you cry
when you cry
you’re all curled up inside
DAMN THESE WALLS
(judah)
how did this happen to me?
im stuck here in captivity
lying in bed feeling fine
its just a matter of time
damn these walls
in my way
i cant see you become part of me
damn these walls
cant break through
you cant see me become part of you
there are no places to hide
when demons are creeping inside
and i think its time that you know
that soon i must let you go
damn these walls
in my way
i cant see you become part of me
damn these walls
cant break through
you cant see me become part of you
when anger arrives, force a smile
and never fight fire with fire
dont let them walk over you
no one loves you like i do
damn these walls
in my way
i cant see you become part of me
damn these walls
cant break through
you cant see me become part of you
you cant see me become part of you
no, i cant see you become part of me
LIFE IS DEATH
(judah)
im so embarrassed
i should be the one looking after you
no, you dont deserve this
all the pressure and anguish i put you through
didnt want you to hear this
but it just might save my life
baby, this is much more serious
than the fights that we analyze
you see, im much more than a suspicious guy
when i cant see that there is more to life
than catching you in some stupid lie
and no matter how hard i try
i find i cant overcome this alone
where do you go
when theres nowhere to go?
what do you do
when theres nothing you can do?
who do you love
when theres no one to hold?
life is death
if i cant live it with...
i thank God for keeping
my hands off you the times i turn vicious
and trusting you sits proudly
in a rocking chair at the top of my wishlist
im losing you
and i know i can do
more than not doing a damn thing about it
ill keep saying to myself
that i need help
even if i have to shout it
where do you go
when theres nowhere to go?
what do you do
when theres nothing you can do?
who do you love
when theres no one to hold?
life is death
if i cant live it with you
well i guess youre the chance that i have to take
but im so scared of making the same mistake
again
didnt want you to hear this
but it just might save my life
where do you go
when theres nowhere to go?
what do you do
when theres nothing you can do?
who do you love
when theres no one to hold?
life is death
if i cant live it with...
where do you go
when theres nowhere to go?
what do you do
when theres nothing you can do?
who do you love
when theres no one to hold?
life is death
if i cant live it with you
life is death
if i cant live it with you
life is death
if i cant live it...
if its pills that i need
a prayer that i need
give it to me, someone give it to me
if its strength that i need
or time that i need
give it to me, someone give it to me
where do you go?
what do you do?
who do you love?
yeah, yeah
where do you go?
what do you do?
who do you love?
life is death if i cant live it with you
with you, with you
life is death if i cant live it with
OH MICHAEL (judah/derosa)
when did you decide you’d never be born? when you had to take our dad out of Vietnam? how did you know he wouldn’t make it out on his own? was the day mommy cried the day you decided to die?
oh michael, are you playing on streets of gold? oh michael, won’t you let your wings unfold and paint my world like Michellangelo? oh michael, you’re the brother i’ve never known
did you love music and give your gift to me? you could of used your life to be anything you wanted to be but instead you saved our little family the other day, was it fate or you that slammed your foot on my brakes?
oh michael, are you playing on streets of gold? oh michael, won’t you let your wings unfold and paint my world like Michelangelo? oh michael, you’re the brother i’ve never known
you’re in a place that deserves flowers every day but i just have this feeling that in your garden i know you create the most beautiful ones ever made
oh michael, are you playing on streets of gold? oh michael, won’t you let your wings unfold and paint my world like Michellangelo? oh michael, you’re the brother i’ll never know it must of been so frightening to go through oh michael, you had a job to do, didn’t you? thank you, we love you, we’ll all see you soon
GARDEN OF EDITH
(judah)
theres a place
the only place
i dont have to see to believe
where i lay exposed
as a warm wind blows
i can feel her breathe
theres a tree
that i can climb
and safely reach the top
and without me being afraid of heights
i fall into her arms
im satisfied
a life worth dying for
bless her little heart that had to stop
but failed to stop our love
bless her little heart that had to stop
but failed to stop our love
i will lay in the garden of edith
i will rest my soul
i will lay in the garden of edith
and i wont let go
theres a river
filled with tears
from all the hearts she grasped
and before the flood drowns my fears
i make two fists and splash, splash
im a child again
a few laughs worth crying for
bless her little heart that had to stop
but failed to stop our love
bless her little heart that had to stop
but failed to stop our love
and i will lay in the garden of edith
i will rest my soul
i will lay in the garden of edith
and i wont let go
hello brian thnx 4 your friendship beautifull beautifull music i would have signed you if i was a lable wishing you rockin weekend and heya cheack my music see if you like blessings
WOW, that about covers it! What a night. Have you ever seen so much press on the red carpet before? You were amazing and we thank you. Pics and videos coming in a few weeks.
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