Brad officially formed in Seattle in 1992, although the band members had been playing together for a long time before that. The band's line-up was composed of vocalist Shawn Smith, guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeremy Toback, and drummer Regan Hagar. The band originally wanted to go by the name Shame, however the band found that the name was already taken by a band featuring musician Brad Wilson. Instead, the band took the name Brad and decided to name its debut album Shame. Shame, released on April 27, 1993 through Epic Records, was recorded in roughly 20 days, with many tracks taken from in-studio jam sessions. Shame, featuring a raw sound and an eclectic mix of styles, was released to mixed reviews and moderate sales. The track "20th Century" was a minor hit in the UK.
In 2011 the news came that the band would record and perform on a more permanent basis. The band signed a new record deal with Razor & Tie. The band spent many months in the recording studio for their fifth record United We Stand which was released on 28th April 2012.
"After 20 years as a band, Brad's brotherhood remains intact and vibrant. I couldn't be more excited about our latest opus," explains Stone Gossard. He continues, "A year and a half in the making, United We Stand is our combined and loving collaboration. We hit all the stops, down beat grooves, soaring vocals, and riffs galore. We're in this bad boy for the long haul people. So get ready."
Shawn Smith adds, "Thankfully, as a band, or more importantly as individuals, we have not lost our spark, our desire to do more than just 'get er done.' The new record is a testament to a band in its 20th year, a band that started with three friends getting together one afternoon to jam. The approach was a little bit different than in the past, with plenty of time to try stuff out and then to step away for awhile and return fresh to see what felt good and what didn't. That's the key in my book, how does a song feel? This collection of songs feels really good to me. I expect nothing less."
