Cami Bradley
Cami Bradley in 2016
Background information
Birth nameCarmen Jane Miller
Born (1988-05-26) May 26, 1988
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
Years active2013 (2013)–present
Labels
Websitethesweeplings.com
camibradleyphotography.com

Carmen Jane "Cami" Bradley[1] (born May 26, 1988)[2] is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist from Spokane, Washington. Bradley gained fame in 2013 as a contestant on season eight of America's Got Talent, during which she advanced to the finals by performing her arrangements of popular songs including "Believe". Bradley finished the season in sixth place.

Prior to her appearance on America's Got Talent, Bradley won a local singing competition in Spokane in 2006. She self-released two solo projects in 2009 and a third in 2013. Following her national exposure, Bradley and Alabama singer-songwriter Whitney Dean formed a collaboration called the Sweeplings. She formed a second collaboration in 2019, Carmen Jane, to pursue a more experimental sound.

The Sweeplings have released numerous works including the full-length album Rise & Fall (2015); songs including "Carry Me Home" have since been used in television series and promotional videos. Bradley and Dean joined Nettwerk in 2017 for their third EP, Sleepwalking, and a deluxe version of Rise & Fall. A full-length album scheduled for 2018 was scrapped; after a seven-month break, Bradley and Dean released the EP Losing Ground Vol. 1 in March 2020; volume two was released in September.

Background

Carmen Jane Miller was born in Spokane, Washington,[3][4] into a musical family. Her father, Paul Miller,[5] was the worship leader at the family's church; he was practicing vocal scales in the car while on the way to perform services when four-year-old Cami started singing along. Her mother, Amy Miller, said that was when they knew she had both singing talent and an ear for music.[6]

Cami Miller began learning the piano by age seven,[7] and started writing songs at ten, though she later called those efforts terrible.[8] Her early style was influenced by a wide range of music, including artists Christina Aguilera and Natalie Cole, and soundtracks to Disney films.[9] Miller began performing her songs during her teen years;[6] the week before she turned 18, she won a car by finishing first in the Spring 2006 season of the local Gimme the MIKE competition.[10] When it was suggested that she should try out for national, televised singing competitions like The Voice, she declined because she did not find the idea to be appealing.[6]

Miller married Eric Bradley on August 25, 2006.[11]

Career

2009: Anomalous and Unhinged

Cami Bradley's first recording effort was the full-length album Anomalous, released in April 2009 and featuring 12 songs.[12] Bradley later said she was happy with the album, but it did not really represent her because she was still trying to find her artistic voice.[13] In June 2009, she released the four-song EP Unhinged, including a medley of the traditional hymns "Amazing Grace" and "'Tis So Sweet".[14]

2013: Seas and America's Got Talent

Bradley self-released her second full-length album Seas in May 2013,[15] featuring her husband Eric on drums.[16] A Kickstarter campaign in April to fund the album's release concert raised nearly $4,000.[17] Seas comprises seven songs including "This Ocean", a duet with her younger brother Ryan Miller,[18] one-half of the indie duo the Rustics.[19] For this album, Bradley said she wrote emotional stories based on the experiences of people close to her, to create "a picture of what I see other people feeling."[13]

Early in 2013, Bradley got a telephone call from a scout with America's Got Talent suggesting that she send them a video of her performing. The producers then sent her to audition in Chicago, where she began to have second thoughts.[20] Instead, she sang an a cappella version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", prompting the judges to put her through to the Las Vegas round; there, she performed "Summertime" and advanced to the live shows.[6][21]

Bradley's televised appearance during the Las Vegas episode was brief;[22] it was her quarterfinals performance that propelled her into the national spotlight.[23] Bradley accompanied herself on piano in a stripped-down performance of "Believe", earning praise from the judges. Mel B lauded the brave arrangement and suggested that Cher might consider a similar approach. Howard Stern agreed,[24] and said it was like hearing the lyrics and their meaning for the first time.[25] Howie Mandel said Bradley had a haunting style and a "star quality ... that could possibly take her all the way."[26]

Bradley continued into the finals of the competition with rearranged versions of pop songs including "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "Livin' on a Prayer".[6] Her sixth-place finish left her happy and newly confident,[27] having been given the opportunity to "get out of my comfort zone."[28]

After America's Got Talent wrapped, Bradley joined her fellow finalists on a two-month tour.[27] She appeared on FORTE's debut album as the featured guest on "The Prayer",[29] and performed the song live with FORTE at Carnegie Hall.[30]

2014–present

The Sweeplings

The Sweeplings
The Sweeplings (l–r): Whitney Dean and Cami Bradley

Singer-songwriter Whitney Dean was working on his music while at home in Huntsville, Alabama, when his wife suggested that they watch Bradley perform on America's Got Talent. Afterward, Bethany Dean said her husband and Bradley should write music together.[31] Bradley declined on first contact, but Bethany Dean persisted; within a few months, Whitney Dean and Bradley began collaborating via Skype.[32] In April 2014,[33] the Deans were invited by the Bradleys to visit their home in Spokane, Washington, and the meeting was both pleasant and productive.[34] Within their first weekend, Cami Bradley and Whitney Dean had co-written eight songs.[33]

A self-titled, four-song EP was released in September 2014,[35] but the new duo did little promotion at first, because Bradley did not want her fans to be confused if the pairing did not work out; Bradley also wanted to make clear that she and Dean were not a romantic couple. Instead, she released videos of cover songs as a solo artist so people would not forget about her.[33]

In August 2015, the Sweeplings released their debut album, Rise & Fall, on their own label. NPR had premiered the song "Carry Me Home" the month before,[36] and iTunes later placed the song on its list of the 25 best singer-songwriter tracks of 2015.[32]

In February 2016, Billboard premiered the video for "Under Your Spell", a song about the struggle with life choices.[37] Albums to follow included Covers, Ch. 1; the EP Winter's Call;[38] a Christmas album, Merrier Days;[39] a deluxe version of Rise & Fall;[40] and the EP Sleepwalking.[41] An album planned for 2018 was put on hold when "some tragedy, some loss, some internal struggle" led Bradley and Dean to take an extended break.

In 2020, Losing Ground was released as two EPs; the first in March,[42] and the second in September.[43] Each volume features seven songs. Also in 2020, The Sweeplings uploaded several official music videos to their YouTube channel, including "In Between" in January,[44] "Bleed Me White" in March,[45] and "I Won't Go" in August.[46]

Carmen Jane

In 2019, Bradley formed a second collaboration in addition to her music with the Sweeplings. Carmen Jane, after her given name,[1] makes songs that feature a different tone than her other work,[43] a more experimental "dark pop" sound reminiscent of Billie Eilish. Bradley's collaborator in Germany is producer Nico Rebscher, and their work is "the first time I've felt fully me in music."[1]

Carmen Jane is based in Los Angeles, where Bradley also travels to write music with her brother, Ryan.[1]

Critical reception

Cami Bradley performs in 2018
Cami Bradley performing live with Whitney Dean (not pictured) at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood in 2018.

People magazine praised Bradley during her appearances on America's Got Talent. "There's something about this 25-year-old's voice that pulls you in as she takes on classic songs and makes them her own."[47] Of "Believe", entertainment editor Avery Thompson wrote, "with just a piano and her incredible voice, Cami stole the show and perhaps the competition."[48]

A readers' poll conducted annually by Inlander named Bradley the Best Singer-Songwriter of 2015 and 2016. She placed second in the same poll in both 2017 and 2018.[49]

AllMusic wrote that songs composed by Bradley and Dean reveal "a penchant for haunting, tender harmonies and a roots-inspired sound that bears similarities to The Civil Wars."[50] PopDust rated Rise & Fall No. 15 on its list of best albums of 2015,[51] on which "Dean and Bradley float across vast landscapes of dusty tones and shadowy figures."[7] The Birmingham News called it "an uncommonly focused, polished and big-stage-ready debut from an independent band".[32] Elmore Magazine noted Bradley's "concise" chemistry with Dean.[52]

In its review of Sleepwalking, Atwood Magazine wrote, "Cami Bradley's breathtaking voice leads with pain and passion, charged with a poignant edge that is as biting as it is bitten."[41]

Personal life

Eric and Cami Bradley live primarily in Spokane, Washington,[43] and work at her father's church there.[33] They bought a small second home in Huntsville, Alabama, to facilitate Cami's career with the Sweeplings; their home search was featured on a 2016 episode of Tiny House Hunting.[53] Cami Bradley also is a professional photographer.[37]

Discography

Albums

As a solo artist
  • Anomalous (2009)
  • Unhinged (EP, 2009)
  • Seas (2013)
With the Sweeplings
  • The Sweeplings (EP, 2014)
  • Rise & Fall (2015)
  • Covers, Ch. 1 (2016)
  • Winter's Call (EP, 2016)
  • Rise & Fall (Deluxe Edition) (2017)
  • Merrier Days (EP, 2017)
  • Sleepwalking (EP, 2017)
  • Losing Ground Vol. 1 (EP, 2020)
  • Losing Ground Vol. 2 (EP, 2020)

Singles

As a solo artist
  • "Come Around" (2013)
With the Sweeplings
  • "Snow May Be Falling" (2014)
  • "Cannonball" (2015)
  • "Carry Me Home" (2015)
  • "In Too Deep" (2016)
  • "Hold Tight" (2016)
  • "What We Once Were" (2016)
  • "Fool" (2017)
  • "Losing You" (2017)
  • "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (2018)
  • "In Between" (2020)[44]
  • "Bleed Me White" (2020)[45]
  • "Shake the Dust" (2020)[54]
  • "Running" (2020)[55]
  • "Deep & Wild" (2020)[56]
  • "I Won't Go" (2020)[46]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Weinbender, Nathan (December 2, 2019). "After a stint on America's Got Talent, local singer-songwriter Cami Bradley looked to reinvent her sound—and herself". Inlander. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  2. ↑ Bradley, Cami [@camibradley] (May 25, 2014). "What do I want for my birthday tomorrow?" (Tweet). Retrieved September 5, 2016 – via Twitter.
      Bradley, Cami [@camibradley] (May 26, 2014). "Your golden birthday only comes one time in your life" (Tweet). Retrieved September 5, 2016 – via Twitter.
  3. ↑ Moore, Emily (October 10, 2008). "Venues". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved June 6, 2018. Billed as Cami Miller Bradley.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. ↑ Bialas, Michael (August 3, 2017). "See It Here First: The Sweeplings Develop a Fool-Proof Method to Woo You". HuffPost. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  5. ↑ Staff (September 18, 2013). "Bradley makes final round on America's Got Talent" (PDF). Buffalo Center Tribune. Buffalo Center, Iowa. p. 3. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Weinbender, Nathan (December 22, 2013). "After incredible run on America's Got Talent, Spokane singer eager to see what exposure may bring". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Scott, Jason (December 5, 2015). "The Sweeplings Piece Together Music's Healing Power On Rise & Fall". PopDust. New York City. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  8. ↑ Weinbender, "After incredible run ...". "[Bradley:] I have notebooks of old songs that are just terrible, but you have to start somewhere. I can definitely see the phases of life that I was in. When you’re really young, you write about things that you see, and when you get older, you write about things that you feel. So I can see the progression of who I was as a person."
  9. ↑ Cornell, Kevin (June 13, 2016). "Interview: The Sweeplings and the Art of Songwriter Collaboration". TuneCore. Brooklyn, New York. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  10. ↑ Staff (May 22, 2006). "Cami Miller wins 2006 Gimme the MIKE". KHQ-TV. Airway Heights, Washington. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
      Cotton, Dave [@KHQDaveCotton] (July 3, 2013). "Cool seeing Spokane's very own Cami Bradley—a former KHQ 'Gimme the Mike' winner ..." (Tweet). Retrieved April 9, 2018 – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ Bradley, Cami [@camibradley] (August 25, 2015). "9 years ago today I married this handsome fella" (Tweet). Retrieved September 5, 2016 – via Twitter.
  12. ↑ "Cami Bradley – Anomalous". April 14, 2009. Retrieved September 7, 2016 – via Amazon.com.
  13. 1 2 Jordan, Isamu (May 10, 2013). "Staying true to the stories". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved September 7, 2016. [Bradley:] To be honest, on the first one I was really young and the end product was great but it wasn't really me. I didn't know that until afterward. I hadn't figured out who I was as an artist yet. This one is me all the way.
  14. ↑ "Unhinged – Cami Bradley". AllMusic. June 11, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Seas – Cami Bradley". AllMusic. May 10, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  16. ↑ Staff (September 17, 2013). "Cami Bradley Giving It Her All on America's Got Talent". Christian Youth Theater. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  17. ↑ Bradley, Cami Jane (April 1, 2013). "Cami Bradley SEAS album release concert". Kickstarter. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  18. ↑ "'This Ocean' – Cami Bradley". May 10, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2016 – via Discogs.
  19. ↑ Lamberson, Carolyn (January 17, 2014). "Rustics' harmonies grounded in folk". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  20. ↑ Weinbender, "After incredible run ...". "[Bradley:] I was like, 'What am I doing here? This is an awful idea. Why did I say yes to this?' But I kind of think it was a blessing for me. I may have been really intimidated, if I had walked into a room of singers."
  21. ↑ Cami Bradley – Stunning "Summertime" Cover – America's Got Talent 2013. America's Got Talent. Retrieved March 22, 2020 – via YouTube (official channel).
  22. ↑ Weinbender, "After incredible run ...". "[Bradley:] As we were watching the show, I thought, 'Oh man, they didn't show me at all. How am I going to get votes?'"
  23. ↑ Hughes, Jason (August 14, 2013). "America's Got Talent: Cami Bradley Stuns With Softer Take on Cher's 'Believe'". HuffPost. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
      Mandel, Howie (August 15, 2013). "Who Made Howie Mandel 'Giggle' on America's Got Talent?". Parade. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Live from Radio City Music Hall". America's Got Talent. Season 8, Episode 16. 2013. Event occurs at 50:58. NBC. [Mel B:] Cami—well, that was very bloody brave. But, you know, I have to say, I think you've given Cher an idea on how to actually sing that song." "[Stern:] Right!
  25. ↑ "Live from Radio City Music Hall". America's Got Talent. Season 8, Episode 16. 2013. Event occurs at 49:57–50:07. NBC. [Stern:] I've listened to that song a million times, like everybody else has. You took it, and for the first time I heard the words, and the words meant something to me.
  26. ↑ Mandel, Howie (August 29, 2013). "Which singing act does Howie Mandel think could win America's Got Talent?". Parade. New York City. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  27. 1 2 Hensley, Nicole (September 19, 2013). "Spokane's Cami Bradley misses top prize, gains 'newfound confidence'". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  28. ↑ Johnson, Laura (September 24, 2013). "Falling in Love". Inlander. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved September 10, 2016. [Bradley:] I had never wanted to do a show like this; I'd never been a fame seeker. But I thought this was a good way to get out of my comfort zone. Anytime this show airs, it has 9.6 million viewers; the exposure this show gives you is huge.
  29. ↑ Minton, Meta (November 12, 2013). "Fernando Varela and Forte release CD, to perform at Carnegie Hall this week". Villages-News. The Villages, Florida. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  30. ↑ Simunovic, Rosanne (November 18, 2013). "Operatic Trio Forte Takes Carnegie Hall By Vocal Storm". MasterClassLady.com. Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  31. ↑ Johnson, "Crossing Lines". "[Whitney Dean:] I told [Bethany], 'Good luck with that.' I told her she could reach out to Cami if she wanted, but it wasn't going to be me."
  32. 1 2 3 Wake, Matt (August 4, 2015). "The Sweeplings: Pretty songs, pretty people, pretty sure to blow up with release of new album". Advance Local Media. Retrieved April 10, 2018 – via AL.com.
  33. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Laura (October 15, 2014). "Crossing Lines". Inlander. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  34. ↑ Janci, Jenelle (September 10, 2015). "America's Got Talent appearance responsible for music duo The Sweeplings". Lancaster Online. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved September 5, 2016. [Bradley:] It was a little scary for me ... we basically invited a stranger to our home for three days." "[Dean:] It should be awkward the first time around, but I felt really at home with the [Bradleys].
  35. ↑ "The Sweeplings – The Sweeplings". AllMusic. September 8, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  36. ↑ Presley, Katie (July 8, 2015). "Song Premiere: The Sweeplings, 'Carry Me Home'". NPR. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  37. 1 2 Titus, Christa (February 8, 2016). "The Sweeplings Premiere 'Under Your Spell' Video: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  38. ↑ "Winter's Call – The Sweeplings". AllMusic. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  39. ↑ "Merrier Days – The Sweeplings". AllMusic. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  40. ↑ Podplesky, Azaria (June 15, 2017). "The Sweeplings to tease new album during Kroc Center performance". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  41. 1 2 Mosk, Mitch (August 24, 2017). "EP Premiere: The Haunting Allure of the Sweeplings' Sleepwalking". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  42. ↑ Bialas, Michael (January 23, 2020). "Folk-pop's the Sweeplings Find Solid Ground 'In Between' Connected Projects". PopMatters. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
      Bennett, Macie (March 12, 2020). "The Sweeplings premiere 'Bleed Me White' with an important message". American Songwriter. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  43. 1 2 3 Condran, Ed (October 3, 2020). "Singer-songwriter and AGT alum Cami Bradley is focused on 'fun', family, friends and Spokane". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved December 3, 2020. Bradley's music became more "personal and vulnerable" over eight years of various illnesses suffered by her father, who died in March 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  44. 1 2 The Sweeplings (official) (January 24, 2020). 'In Between' – (Official Music Video) – The Sweeplings. YouTube. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  45. 1 2 The Sweeplings (official) (March 13, 2020). 'Bleed Me White' – (Official Music Video) – The Sweeplings. YouTube. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  46. 1 2 The Sweeplings (official) (August 31, 2020). 'I Won't Go' – (Official Music Video) – The Sweeplings. YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  47. ↑ Blumm, K. C. (September 18, 2013). "America's Got Talent: Who Should Win?". People. New York City. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  48. ↑ Thompson, Avery (August 14, 2013). "America's Got Talent Recap: Cami Bradley Takes A Risk With 'Believe'". Hollywood Life. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  49. ↑ Johnson, Laura (March 18, 2015). "Arts | Best of the Inland Northwest Reader's Poll | 2015". Inlander. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
      Johnson, Laura (March 24, 2016). "Best of the Inland Northwest Readers Poll 2016". Inlander. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
      Weinbender, Nathan (March 23, 2017). "Best of 2017". Inlander. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
      Byrd, Jordy (March 22, 2018). "Best of 2018". Inlander. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  50. ↑ Monger, Timothy. "The Sweeplings – Biography by Timothy Monger". AllMusic. Retrieved May 23, 2018. Dean toured for two years with John Paul White prior to White's stint with The Civil Wars. Bradley was a fan of the band, whose departure left a "giant hole to fill".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  51. ↑ Scott, Jason (December 18, 2015). "Here Are The 22 Best Albums of 2015". PopDust. New York City. Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
  52. ↑ Hillegas, Brenda (November 11, 2015). "Album Reviews: The Sweeplings Rise & Fall". Elmore Magazine. New York City. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  53. ↑ Johnson, Laura (February 10, 2016). "Cami Bradley's the Sweeplings continue to impress on the national scene". Inlander. Spokane, Washington. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  54. ↑ The Sweeplings (official) (May 1, 2020). 'Shake the Dust' – (Official Music Video) – The Sweeplings. YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  55. ↑ The Sweeplings (official) (May 15, 2020). 'Running' – (Official Music Video) – The Sweeplings. YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  56. ↑ The Sweeplings (official) (June 16, 2020). 'Deep & Wild' – (Official Music Video) – The Sweeplings. YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
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