The Office's Creed Bratton to Release New Album This September; Drops First Single

Creed Bratton's story has always been a music story, but a relentless drive for success and a stroke of luck led him down an entirely different path in Scranton, PA. Now, as he prepares to release his 10th studio album, Tao Pop, on September 27, Bratton cements his place in music history as he blissfully explores his many interpretations of pop music.

Tao Pop marks Creed's fifth time working with multiple Grammy-Award winning producers Dave Way (Michael Jackson, Fiona Apple) and Dillon O'Brian (Keith Urban, Brian Wilson, Ringo Starr), and its first single is out now. 

Co-written with Vance DeGeneres, “Corner Of The Universe” is an infectious anthem partially inspired by an article Creed thinks he read in Popular Mechanics––”something about the healing o-zone hole in the Arctic Circle,” he says. The song imagines a future when humans finally get their act together and stop polluting the planet; a utopia with clean oceans and no more plastic waste.

The hook on "Corner Of The Universe" is so catchy that every time Creed plays it live, it quickly becomes a highlight of the set with fans singing the words back to him before its over.

Tao Pop's cover art was actually inspired by Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity Is Near. After reading it, the image came to Creed while meditating, and he imagined a world where AI-bots and humans coexist seamlessly. In this dream, Creed is the last human standing, thriving in a world dominated by robots—a metaphor for his enduring presence in the music world.

There's more of this natural and poignant sense of humor across the record, and obviously, that's because Creed’s a funny guy. What started as a non-speaking role quickly turned him into a global star for his work as Creed Bratton on the American version of The Office, which is now one of the most streamed television shows of all time.

But many may not realize his life in the spotlight first began with music, and Tao Pop feels like a culmination of his many eclectic experiences. Raised in a small mining town between Fresno and Yosemite, Creed saw his mother and grandparents all playing music from a very young age. Later, he’d impress with his acting skills in school plays before eventually dropping out of his drama major in college to travel across the world in search of himself.

He’s told this story before––busking across Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and later becoming a member of the folk-pop group the Grass Roots, Creed experienced more in his early musical lifetime than most could say they’d ever aspire to, but he always felt there was more. Bratton’s solo career technically began the moment he left the Grass Roots in 1969 but he kicked it off with his debut album in 2003, Chasin’ The Ball. Eight more full-lengths followed, each one unraveling more layers of Bratton’s extensive musical universe.

Today, Creed’s autodidactic nature shines through in his music-making process. He lets the songs come to him, allowing his subconscious to guide the way. This approach mirrors his broader philosophy: the world is here to help us, but we often get in our own way. By allowing the Tao to cruise through his life, Creed processes trauma and expresses spiritual yearning through his music.

 Track Listing

1. Tall Grass

2. Corner Of The Universe

3. Having A Ball

4. Just Let Go

5. Chip In My Brain

6. Breathe Easy

7. Tug Of War

8. Toy Boat

9. Broken World

10. I'll Always Be Dreaming Of You

Photo credit: Shayan Asgharnia