bradley lockhart

For the 41st week of "7 QUESTION SUNDAY" we shine the spotlight on another influential individual from the PNW. A resident of Bellingham, WA, Musician, graphic designer, creator of the ever popular Orca Face flag and all around renaissance man. This is Bradley Lockhart!

4EVRGRN: Hey Brad, tell us a little about yourself.

BL: I grew up along the Nooksack River in rural Whatcom County. I've lived in Seattle a few different times over the years but for the most part Bellingham, Washington has always been my home base and it's where I currently reside. I am the singer of a heavy metal band called Dryland based out of Bellingham, whose members I've known since elementary school. I've been performing music around the PNW since 2001 in about a half dozen different projects including Black Eyes & Neckties and Baltic Cousins to name a few. I work as a freelance motion and graphic designer for my own studio, Lariat Creative, which I founded in 2013. Over the last few years I have made a name for myself as a vexillographer, which is a person who designs flags. I designed the official flag of my hometown of Bellingham and have subsequently redesigned unofficial versions of the flags of Seattle, Washington State, Olympia, the US, and more. 

Here's How Brad answered our 7 questions... 

4EG: Best meal in the PNW? 

BL: I hear the best meal is the Willows out on Lummi Island, but that's too rich for my blood. Luckily my buddy Jay runs a spot of Orcas Island that's just as great called Hogstone's Wood Oven. Our bands used to play punk shows together and now he a James Beard Awarded chef!

4EG: What’s the one thing anyone who visits must see or do? 

BL: If you visit the PNW I think you have to see the San Juan Islands. Growing up along the Puget Sound I feel like I've always taken them for granted. The vast majority of America is landlocked, so the Pacific ocean alone is a treasure. But the string of islands themselves feel like another world. My friends and I sailed out to Cypress Island this past summer and it was just pure magic. 

4EG: What do you miss most when you’re outside the PNW? 

When I'm away I miss the clean air, the rolling green hills, and the ocean views. 

4EG: Favorite PNW activity? 

BL: My favorite PNW activity is just being a small part of our music community/ history. I started playing music in the late 90s, sort of the last wave of the grunge era. I'm lucky to have lived and performed through tons of great moments like the 2000s indie rock boom, the 2010s folk boom, and now whatever boom we are in (EDM?? lol). Either way I love being inspired and challenged by my fellow artists, particularly those from Bellingham. From Death Cab For Cutie to Odesza, I am very lucky to count several of those folks as friends and never cease to be in awe of their work. 

4EG: Wildest PNW experience? 

BL: My wildest experience was probably playing Bumbershoot in 2008 with Black Eyes & Neckties. We had just got off a US tour where I had broken my leg on stage in Missoula, Montana. I had to play a couple shows that day in a wheel chair but it was still unforgettable. 

4EG: Best misconception you’ve heard about the PNW? 

BL: I spend most of my time here so I don't really know how we are viewed by others. I guess there is a certain level of apathy/ depression that comes with our several months of rainy weather per year. But I feel like those are the times when we hole up inside and write amazing records and design crazy ass art. If I were living in San Diego I'd probably be in a lot better shape but way less interesting. 

4EG: One thing you want the world to know about the PNW? 

BL: Visiting Seattle does not count as visiting Washington State/ the PNW. If you consider a weekend in King County as having absorbed the PNW, you need to take more time and see what we really have to offer. I find charm in just about every corner of Washington State, but you can't miss the rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula, the mountain ranges of the North Cascades, the plains of Eastern Washington, the beaches along the Pacific, and of course the San Juan Islands. 

Thank you to Brad for sharing with us and being an all around PNW badass! Wanna know more about Brad and his talent? Click here!