Fil-Am turns heartache to breakthrough

MANILA, Philippines - It may have been emotionally draining and costly for Fil-Am Brad Go to embark on a journey around the world interviewing couples and writing tunes. But his ambitious idea paid-off as he was able to produce an album that gave him the break towards a mainstream recording career. 

Through MCA Music, the singer-songwriter recently released his nine-song pop rock debut album called The HUSH Project, the HUSH being an acronym for “Have U Seen Her” which is the title of the blog he created chronicling an affair that inspired him to travel to select cities and talk to people about love. 

He shares, “One rainy New York night in September 2012, I met a girl. She didn’t have an umbrella so I offered to share mine. We eventually started dating and although it didn’t work out, I was inspired to travel around the world in search of credible stories to use as inspiration for my album.” 

The umbrella moment seems like an image straight out of The Hollies’ iconic piece Bus Stop. 

The New Yorker went to Barcelona (Spain), Melbourne (Australia), Singapore, Palermo (Italy), Berlin (Germany), Paris (France), Manila (Philippines) and Tokyo (Japan) where he met an interracial couple and whose story inspired him to write I Want You Now — the album’s carrier single. 

For the Manila trip, Brad visited his family’s hometown and interviewed the only grandparent he has left. The latter spoke about her devotion to his grandfather and how different romantic relationships were back in 1950s Philippines. 

Also working as a freelance video editor and director, the multifaceted act decided to try his luck here and formally launch his album, performing along with two former members of veteran pop band True Faith (Ferdie Marquez and Bimbo Yance) during an afternoon press gathering in Quezon City. 

He found his travels life-changing, with each trip giving birth to a new song. “On top of the excitement of being in a new place, there was the thrill of trying to find a person receptive to the project and willing to share their story. Those interviews really offered me a chance to share some truly happy moments with people,” he recalls. 

With the addition of bonus track Carry You Home, the other seven songs in The HUSH Project are All Along, It’s You, Follow Through, Firestarter, Feel This Way, Love Is Love and Time Machine. 

MCA clearly recognized Brad’s talent as it commissioned him to write a song for rising star Darren Espanto. For that challenge he came out with Makin’ Moves which appears on the latter’s self-titled album. 

“I’m excited to promote the album in the Philippines and abroad. I’m also excited to start writing my next album and further develop my catalog as a songwriter for other artists as well,” he relates. 
Brad just did a series of gigs and radio guestings in Metro Manila — a privilege for Manileños who witnessed an artist who has already played clubs in downtown New York.

Confidence and emotions come abound through him on stage, and his laudable effort at translating some English lyrics to Tagalog only added extra flavor to his classy act. 

MCA A&R manager Francis Guevarra, who happens to be an ex-True Faith member, too, offers his observation as to Brad’s strengths: “He is a very marketable artist. We are looking forward to helping him cultivate and grow his personal brand as a musician and songwriter. The HUSH Project is just the first step.” 
As for the girl he prefers addressing simply as “her”, Brad expressed gratitude, saying, “Without you none of this would have happened.”

(The HUSH Project is available at Astro Plus and Odyssey record bars; and online via iTunes, Spinner, Spotify, and Deezer.)