Meet Victor Brodén of Woodland Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Brodén

Hi Victor, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Born in raised in Karlskrona in southern Sweden, I developed a love for music at around age 6. When I was 12 years old I made up my mind I wanted to dedicate my life to it. I quickly realized my passion for music was not for just one genre, but rather for everything from soft Pop to Vintage Soul and Heavy Metal. This led me to playing with everyone in my hometown that wanted to make music with me. At age 21 I made the leap across the Atlantic to study music in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I immediately knew that I would stay longer than I originally intended in the U.S, which lead me to more studies at the University of Miami and later to a career as a professional bass player based in Nashville, TN where I resided until 2018 when I moved to Los Angeles in search of a more diverse set of musical opportunities and a life more rich in truly international culture.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have been lucky enough to enjoy a career so far where the recording artists in need of my services have kept me fairly busy throughout the years, but like any independent contractor in the entertainment industry I have experienced ups and downs along the way. Keeping self-discipline with lifestyle choices while touring has been a challenge, but with age comes wisdom and I have been lucky enough to keep my eye on the prize for most of my career. The times I didn’t, the temporary hardships quickly turned into lessons that were much needed and that I draw upon daily.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
In addition to playing bass guitar for everyone from multi-Grammy winners to new artists starting out, I also do musical direction/band-leading and some producing. Putting the right team of creatives together for a very specific project or situation is not only one of the most inspiring tasks in my line of work, but one of the most rewarding ones. I am very proud of the times I have creatively connected people who have ended up becoming long-time friends and collaborators in many situations that do not necessarily involve me. That, I believe will be part of my legacy.

As far as what I am known for I hope my sound is large part of it. A bass player’s role can often involve playing what can feel like fairly rudimentary parts, but providing those parts with a sound that sets you apart from the pack, I believe is something I do well and that has kept me working throughout the years. I also believe that as a performer, being able to exude joy and letting the music move me is an asset I was born with. When somebody hires me for a “job”, I never want them to look over at me onstage and feel like they are seeing somebody who looks like they are “at work”.

In addition to my career as a performing and session bassist, I also write for Premier Guitar magazine and have done so for over ten years, which I consider a great honor.

The last few years I have finally taken time out to put a lot of effort and energy into making my own music with a group of like-minded musicians under the name Transatlantic Radio. We create slick, well-produced Rock with a strong lean toward a late 80’s sound. This project has been a great joy and tremendous learning experience for me.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Like quite a few other creatives I am diagnosed with AD/HD. Taking the stigma out of mental challenges and non-neurotypical brain conditions is very important to me. This condition in many cases comes with a certain lack of risk assessment, which in my line of work sometimes can be a tremendous asset. For example, when anyone is trying to establish themselves in a new market, like when I transitioned from Nashville to Los Angeles “later” in my career, you have to start several notches down on the latter. I have done this a few times in my life and I recommend it to anyone. “Feel the fear and do it anyway” is a great saying, and I believe in my line of work, since competition is fierce, an elevated willingness to take risks is a necessity. Part of living a full life as a human and as a business person involves going with your gut feeling and instinct even if it doesn’t look great on paper. This always involves a healthy disrespect for risk.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.victorbroden.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victorbroden/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vbroden/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@transatlanticradio