Golden Feather shares “You’ve Been On My Mind” from their EP, Now & Then
Hamilton’s Golden Feather is a project started by Steve Kiely and Brad Germain, inspired by their love of the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, and other bands that like to jam and take the listeners on a musical journey. The group was set to play its first show in March 2020 when the global pandemic hit, suddenly ending all hopes of live performance. Brad and Steve, along with bassist Ronson and guitarist Chris Wheeler, worked on songs remotely and recorded their debut album, Light On Water. Not long after that album’s November 2020 release, Gareth Inkster joined the group on keys to complete the definitive lineup that makes up the band today.
The band’s follow-up Now & Then EP was self-produced and recorded live off the floor at a barn-turned-studio dubbed Heaven. The title track, “You’ve Been On My Mind,” was written by Brad for his childhood best friend. While their lives diverged in their 20s, this song is a way to continue to send peace and love to him. If you miss someone, let them know.
Listen to “You’ve Been On My Mind” below, and learn more about Golden Feather via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello, I’m Brad Germain, and I’m a guitar player and one of the three singers of Golden Feather. I’m also the songwriter of the song “You’ve Been on my Mind.” I’m a Leo and live in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
I wrote this song (“You’ve Been on my Mind”) a few years ago. I’d been thinking about an old friend a lot. We started to talk again. He had a history of staying in touch, then falling off the map. I was thinking about how much I love and care about him. This song came from that love and care for him. Just a way to commit that feeling to the song. Somewhere I could reach it and harness that energy often.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
I write a lot while walking, in my head. I’m constantly going over my life inside my head – constantly looking at things in new ways while also getting stuck in old ways. Most of my songs are about experiences I’ve had or ways in which I see the world.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
We will be mostly sticking around Ontario for the next few months. Kitchener and Toronto, and Hamilton are coming up in October/November. As is Sarnia in December.
What’s your goal for 2022?
To be honest with myself and others always. Musically, I’d like to share energy with as many people as possible. Just keep playing music!