You may not know Mike Bradford's name, but chances are good that you've heard his work. In addition to producing and playing with Uncle Kracker (including Kracker's most recent CD, No Stranger to Shame), the Los Angeles-based Bradford has played with, produced, programmed, or engineered projects by a wide range of artists including Kid Rock, Anita Baker, Earl Klugh, the Butthole Surfers, and Terence Trent D'arby. He's also a songwriter and has composed music for movies such as The Crow, Any Given Sunday, and the Disney sequel to Cinderella.

Onstage caught up with Bradford recently before an Uncle Kracker show at the Asbury Park Convention Center in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Do you prefer playing live or in the studio?

I like them the same. When I'm in the studio too long I want to go on the road, and when I'm on the road too long I want to go in the studio.

What's the most frustrating thing for you about touring?

One of the most frustrating things on the road is the sound in general. No matter how good a sound system you get, it's still an imperfect listening environment. My challenge being a writer, producer, and recording engineer is that I'm used to an accurate, studio sound, and I'm never going to get that live — 'cause I don't have control over the way the room sounds.

What's Uncle Kracker like as a performer?

He's a very good, dynamic live performer. The thing about Kracker is that people just like him. Kracker is like your best friend, and then he hops up on the stage to sing just sort of to entertain his friends — as opposed to some rock stars that are “stars,” that you're supposed to admire and look up to.

Do you tour with him full-time?

What I've done is I've put together this band for him so he can have a great live band. After everything is together, I will slot in my ultimate replacement, so I can go back to the lucrative world of writing songs and producing music.

How long do you generally spend on the road every year with the various artists you work for?

The only artists I've really traveled for are Uncle Kracker and Kid Rock. I played bass with Kid Rock and I also did a lot of production on his History of Rock album a couple of years ago.

You played most of the instruments on Uncle Kracker's new CD. Did your studio arrangements translate easily to the live band?

Pretty much so. The songs that you hear on the record have pretty well-worked-out arrangements as it is. So if the band cops the arrangements from the record, then we're almost done. I don't make records where everybody just strums along. There are actual parts for the guitar player to play, and things stop and they start, and there's drops; it's part of the arrangement.