Growing up Bradley Perl was periodically bullied. That became one of the reasons why he ultimately turned to music, alongside other hardships such as growing up with split parents. Whenever he was feeling down and needed someone to talk to he would put a pen on paper.
“I didn’t have too many friends back then because I had just moved a town over. Music was the first person I had to talk to about the things going on inside my head.”
Today, he is better known by his stage name Brad Varsity. The name was inspired by a time when he was bullied by the varsity football team in high school. “Now when it comes to making music I’m on the varsity team,” said Brad.
“I was a pretty late bloomer so they kinda picked on me because I was not as strong as them and it was an easy thing for them to do. I remember I was in my room faking sick to not go to school. I was doing math homework I started fucking crying. So I flipped the page and started writing lyrics and I felt my first ever release from music.”
Junior year of high school was when Brad began to record music in his friend's basement. He was encouraged to do so because his classmates who were labeled as the “cool kids” released a song.
“I heard it and I was like this is trash. I can do better and I said maybe I should start recording. I always wrote stuff in my notes but I never recorded a song. I went over my friends and recorded. The first song that I made was a remix of ‘Beamer, Benz, or Bentley.”
He was becoming less shy and more comfortable with himself. Senior prom came around and he performed a remix to Drake’s “Started From the Bottom,” which they called “Started as Freshman” alongside a friend. Throughout high school he recorded a few songs which he would share on Facebook.
While still in high school he recalls a time when his uncle spoke to him after listening to one of his songs which he enjoyed. He questioned him about it and asked him if it was just a hobby or he wanted to pursue it as a career.
At the time Brad didn’t have the support he has now. No one encouraged him to pursue a career in music. He replied to his uncle, “Oh it's just a hobby, I’m gonna go to college and get a good job.” Deep down inside he knew that it was one of his ultimate dreams.
He went on to attend The University of Iowa where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing. During college, he took a break from music although he never stopped writing it. When his junior year came around he got right back into it and began to release freestyles.
He bought equipment and taught himself how to record on his own. Senior year of college was when he released his first project titled, “Dean’s List.” Which was filled with songs about partying and girls.
After graduating in the summer of 2017 he moved back home to Buffalo Grove, IL. A year later in June 2018, he moved to the city where his music career began to take off.
In May 2019 Brad was given the opportunity to go on a reality TV show. They flew him out to Mexico where he was quarantined in a hotel room. He knew he wasn’t going to be allowed to have his cellphone so he took an iPod which he filled up with beats. “It was pretty much paradise prison. So what I did was sit in my room's balcony and I would just fill up this notebook with lyrics to beats that my producer FVNTVNV sent me,” said Brad.
“Brad’s work ethic is insane. He truly lives and breathes music. I know very few people that are constantly working toward their goals like Brad is. As someone that engineers his own music as well, it adds so much to his workload as an artist, but he still finds a way to keep up with everything. I really believe that music is the first thing he thinks about when he gets up and he is still thinking about it in his sleep when he goes to bed.”
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That gave birth to his second project titled “Balcony - EP” which was released in Dec. 2019. For Brad 2019 was a good year, he had the chance to perform at various venues across the city such as Tunnel, Joy District and Prysm.
“His energy and vibe undoubtedly matched mine so it was so easy to be able to create songs that allowed us both to express our artistry. The blend of our voices, flow, and writing abilities just naturally go well together. He’s one of the reasons why I work as hard as I do towards my own career. He’s such an inspiring person with the greatest energy and aura that is undeniable.”
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One of Brad’s ultimate goals is to gain his father's approval by showing him he will be able to make a living through music.
“I have a goal sheet and one of my goals is to take him out to a really expensive dinner and be able to tell him music paid for it.”
This year Brad will be releasing plenty of singles alongside a new project.
Watch Brad’s latest music video here.
