Bradley Green.

Raised in South Manchester, Bradley Green is known professionally in music as ‘Blizzard’, he has been involved in music from a young age, developing his skills as an MC, producer and performer over many years. From early viral performances, to appearing on respected UK music platforms and performing at Glastonbury Festival, he has continued to establish his reputation as a formidable lyricist and built an impressive career in the music industry.

Alongside developing his career as an artist, Bradley studied Music Production at Spirit Studios, refining his skills and expanding his creative approach. In this interview, he reflects on his journey so far, his experiences in the industry, and the advice he would give to aspiring artists looking to follow a similar path.

How did you first get started in music, and what inspired you to become an MC, DJ, and producer?

From very young I’ve always been around music, starting out in youth clubs in Manchester in the early 2000s. I always enjoyed writing poems and just general creative writing however I’d never been in a performance scenario. I had family members that used to go to the same youth club as me that were MCs and DJs, and friends and family that were producers, so I picked up a lot of skills in the years I was going.

You studied Music Production here between 2021 and 2024. How did your time at Spirit help shape your skills or confidence as an artist?

Spirit definitely helped me to hone my skillset and understand the science of everything I do day to day.

Studying at Spirit meant that I had space and time to practice my craft with the luxury of world class industry standard equipment at my disposal for three years.

I was able to tap in to the minds of fellow students from many different walks of life with different musical interests to me, which helped to inspire and inform my future work.

Which part of the creative process do you enjoy the most – writing lyrics, producing, or performing live?

For me production, as it’s the place I can scratch my nerd itch. I can really get deep into sound design and processes to make my music sound as good as possible, it’s like a scrapbook for my constantly busy mind where I can dump and practice ideas.

Being from Manchester, a city with such a strong musical identity, how did the local scene influence your journey?

I guess the pressure of Manchester being such a strong force in the music industry made me want to be better. I didn’t want to be out of place, and wanted to make sure that when I was ready to release music I wasn’t tarnishing my hometowns already very strong back catalogue.

What has been your biggest career highlight so far?

Probably performing at Glastonbury in 2014 as part of Billy Bragg’s unsigned artist spotlight.

Music can be a challenging industry at times, what keeps you motivated to keep creating?

I try not to worry too much about the logistics of the industry and playing the game of success and notoriety. I just want to make tunes, for me it’s a therapeutic process that gives me a space to fill my life with sound; the rest is just uncomfortable atonal noise that takes away from the enjoyment.

The good ideas will come and if it’s meant to be it will resonate with the public.

What piece of equipment or software do you rely on the most when creating music?

I’ve recently really got in to using my Novation Launch Control XL for writing automation. The current project I’m starting has been focused around live recording automation and making the track feel more alive, and ever-evolving. The parameters on this control surface are so plentiful that I can get really complex automation going on multiple channels, especially when working with granular fx/synthesis. It’s really helped to make my tracks feel super sentient.

What skills outside of making music have been important in your career?

Being in full time employment throughout my studies and working in customer service / accounts / complaints has made me resilient to the uncertainty, upset and stress that comes from being a musician, as we require to be chameleons and changing minute by minute and adapting to things as they ebb and flow.

Being frank the music industry isn’t for the faint-hearted and I think the real life experience dealing with customers, stressful scenarios, problem solving for people, it’s made me feel very prepared for any of the adversity that can come from being in the music space and has give me a peace of mind that can allow me to focus on what is important to me.

What advice would you give to students who want to build a career as an artist or producer?

Focus on your lift pitch. What it is that makes you different and can you explain that?

Why do I, the listener, want to engage with your music? If there’s 100 artists in the room right now, what makes you shine more than the other 99?

I’d also argue that social media presence and consistency is the thing that has helped *me* the most. When I started posting one/two pieces a week, my engagement increased as well as my following. That has a knock on effect in your streaming numbers and possible sales etc.

Also, music wise, just release music. Don’t allow impostor syndrome to tell you that the work isn’t good enough, just release. Your discography isn’t expected to be hits from day 0, it’s like a CV where you start entry level and progress. Build a back catalogue and as you work you will naturally be able to see the curve of improvement. You’ll then be able to look back proud of the progress you’ve made.

Where can we find your work?

You can find me on socials here:

Instagram: @iamblizzard
Tiktok: blizzardiam
Soundcloud: iamblizzard