Daring to Suck: A Grace Askew Podcast
Host Grace Askew dives into the life of a veteran artist. Her 15+ years of living and breathing music have left her with plenty triumphs and disasters and lessons (mostly learned the hard way) to share for all levels of creatives. From the songwriting process, to life on the road, to stories-behind-the songs, to interviews with fellow creatives on their own journey to finishing (or not finishing) songs, "Daring to Suck" is a place for musicians/artists to glean some guidance for their own path.
Daring to Suck: A Grace Askew Podcast
S2E2: Adam Browder on Navigating the Music Industry, Creativity, and Growth
What does it take to make it in the music industry, and how can a love for music and a willingness to "dare to suck" propel you forward? Join me as I chat with Nashville-based songwriter and veteran musician, Adam Browder, about his incredible journey from Birmingham, Alabama to the heart of the music industry, and the inspiring lessons he's learned along the way.
From his experiences at the University of North Alabama's music program and working in legendary studios, to life on tour with Kip Moore, we delve into Adam's unique story. We discuss the importance of collaboration, the songwriting process, and how taking risks and daring to suck can lead to amazing creative breakthroughs. Get ready for an engaging conversation filled with fascinating stories about Adam's collaborations with the likes of Gary Nichols, Jason Isbell, and John Paul White.
As we wrap up our conversation, we explore the artistic side of creativity, inspiration, and the importance of taking risks to grow as an artist. Adam shares his thoughts on collaboration, believing in yourself, and the rewards that come with taking risks in the music industry. Whether you're an aspiring musician, a country music fan, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes world of the music industry, this episode is a must-listen. So, tune in and be inspired by Adam's amazing journey and his passionate love for music.
Adam's Instagram: @browdermusic
AdamBrowder.com
Outside of these inspiring interviews, Grace offers further artistic growth opportunities through semi-annual songwriting retreats held in Memphis, TN and 1:1 Zoom coaching! All details can be found at her website: GraceAskew.com
All right, y'all, we are back with, yet again, another episode of Daring to Suck. This is season two, episode two of the podcast, and, if you didn't catch the first one, it's been like three years since I have gone back into doing the podcast and it feels really good to just be back and talking, having these deep conversations with people that I've gotten to meet and been very fortunate to work with, and it seems like the second season the theme has become the road to Nashville, because I've gotten the great fortune to work with these Nashville based songwriters and veteran musicians, like Adam Browder, today's guest, and so I want to just be able to dig into his brain today and just see what his life has been like as a full-time musician. So you're very, very excited.
Speaker 2:Hey, we'll take you very long to dig there, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, yeah, so that kind of starts off my first question for you, Adam. By the way, thank you so much for doing this.
Speaker 2:Hey, thanks for having me, hey, everyone.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, what is your personal story of, like, what's your road to Nashville? What did that look like for you?
Speaker 2:It's. Thankfully we have a podcast to do this because it's kind of a long story. I'm from Birmingham, alabama, originally, right, and in 97, i just graduated high school and I was just obsessed with playing guitar And I was looking at like going to Belmont MTSU, mother schools and stuff and they're, all you know, out of state. The tuition was just exorbitant. There's no way my family could afford it. Yeah, i looked at this small school in Northwest Alabama called University of North Alabama And it was a little area called the Quad Cities which is like Florence, muscle Shoals, tisquem and Sheffield And just had a great little vibe. I had an awesome music program there, cool.
Speaker 2:So I moved into town, started going to school and right away I learned about the history of the town, about, you know, fame studios, muscle, soul sound studios and everyone that's recorded there, and I was just mesmerized by it and loved the history of it and started right away basically kind of playing in the studios in 97. That's an 18 year old kid, wow, and not an opportunity everyone gets, especially from Nashville And so I started working in the studios. I was over at fame and I was this thing called Rodney Hall put together called the Tuesday Music Club And so on Tuesdays all these young guys would get together and we'd write songs together and then we'd record them together. And that part of that group that we get together on Tuesdays, you know, was Gary Nichols from the Steel Drivers And Jason Isboul. Jason Isboul, you know Oh my gosh, some of the guys from his band were actually in the Tuesday Music Club as well And John Paul White from the Steel.
Speaker 2:Drivers. So we were just all young green writing songs getting into. After we get done writing, we go into, you know, room B and we start cutting. That's incredible. None of us really knew what we were doing, but we were learning and it was an awesome experience.
Speaker 1:What a cool like boot camp style way to do it too.
Speaker 2:You know it's like a front of song and then you immediately record.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was a very cool way to do it. So I did that for like a year and then kept writing more and doing more studio work And then I kind of shifted over to. Some of the guys stayed at Fame, like Gary, and then some of us went to like me and John whatever most of the sound back when they were at the Armory and we started working there. Yeah, of course, at that time John had got a pub deal, i think, with Walt Aldridge. Okay, walt's office was there and Gary Baker's office was there and I was just kind of there hanging around. I was the kid they couldn't get rid of, like I wasn't making any money and but I was like I'll do anything and everything And I did?
Speaker 2:I got to do so many cool things. Wolf, who is a producer of Malico records he was doing a lot of blues and soul records down there. Yeah, he taught me how to tape at it, how to use a two inch reel-a-reel and how to tape at it. Walt taught me how to mix. Gary Baker taught me how to cut vocals. I got to work with Backstreet Boys there. What For those guys? Yeah, so that was just getting all these cool opportunities. It was just what an interesting little town, interesting way to come up.
Speaker 1:There's something in the drinking water down there for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it broke my heart to leave, like I did not want to leave that town. After most of Seoul Sound, i went to Gary Baker's split off and started the same called Noise Block Studios in downtown Florence.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I started working there. I was doing a lot of songwriting, getting in to do a lot of sync cuts type stuff, cool. And then I started a band called The Shoals in like 2005. And we got signed a publishing deal in Nashville and a production deal and developmental deal with Paul Worley and Wally Wilson.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, i know his name.
Speaker 2:And Paul was a huge producer and still is, and Wally, great songwriter, great publisher and producer in his own right. So they took us under their wing. We did that for a few years and that's kind of how I got to Nashville was through the band, basically. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i love that. it just grew from your roots, like you didn't have to just go straight to Nashville and grind away like a lot of people do. I like that. it just kind of came from your hometown kind of community that you had almost.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and like being only two hours from Nashville. I was back and forth in Nashville all the time. Yeah, because I come up to do co-writes and then I drive back and forth.
Speaker 2:You know all about that I do So you know, I was spending four hours a day in the car just to go do a co-write and then drive back home and go to work or go to the studio or whatever, and then come back and do it again the next day. So it was just hustle, hustle, no-transcript. I had to do it, i believed in it and I had to do it. There was no other option and choice for me. It was just-.
Speaker 1:That kind of answers my next question for you, actually, which is like what is your? why? Like when you were real little and you first picked up the guitar, what age did you start guitar, by the way?
Speaker 2:I was like 11, 11 or 12.
Speaker 1:Yeah, So was that kind of? did you realize you finally had this like vessel or this funnel for your creativity, or?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've been a creative kid my whole life. Yeah, I started piano when I was six. I had some learning disabilities when I was a kid and back in those days, like they didn't know what to do, right, yeah.
Speaker 2:They were like he's just a weird kid, yeah, yeah. So I was always into real, into art, and my parents recognized that if they involved me in things like art classes and music classes, that it gave me an outlet and helped with, helped a lot. And so I started playing piano when I was six and then I went remember I went to school one day and I was a huge nerd, just a super nerd, and one of my friends he was a super nerd too and he brought his guitar to school and all of a sudden, all of the cute girls and girls in him I was like, hey, wait a minute, there's something too. This guitar thing, no one likes it, yeah this story before.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i started playing guitar and then my buddy Jody. We went on a field trip one day and he showed me how to read tablature and it was done. I was just buying guitar magazines every time we go to the grocery store.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Butchering it but having a blast.
Speaker 1:Totally.
Speaker 2:I totally fell in love with it. I knew this is what I wanted to do It sounds like music was.
Speaker 1:I mean, at least for me. I was a loner kind of tease as a kid So music was my way of trying to feel like I fit into some place in the world in some way, like I had some place to belong and being a musician and just being creative kid, i felt like that was I found myself in a way. Does that resonate with you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. It's like I don't know about you, but like I always tried to put myself mentally into other things and they just never really fit.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And just something about it's like I just always knew that I have to do this and this is what I'm supposed to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. I would love to hear about sorry, go ahead.
Speaker 2:Okay, no, yeah, even if I'm broke, you know, I know, it's like it's just the one that's tougher for it, right?
Speaker 1:Anything, i would love to hear about how you met Kip Moore, and I love you make some long posts on Instagram about your 13 years touring with him and how much you love that whole experience. So like, how did you meet him in the first place? How did that start?
Speaker 2:So after the shows thing, after we'd been through like two publishing deals and bunch of record deals, just nothing was working. So the band broke up and I lost my pub deal. So I lost my income And it's like, oh crap, i'm gonna do now. And I never really set out to be a side guy, like you know, a touring player. It never was my goal and my mission. I was always more of a creative guy and just who played guitar And so I started just picking up side work, like how would people would ask me to? oh sorry, people would ask come in town, they wanna go play for a record producer or a record label. So they had three songs and they'd send them to me and I'd learn the three songs and we go do it. And it was like making 150 bucks a meeting, so it was pretty good money.
Speaker 1:Not bad.
Speaker 2:And I was like that's. and then I started doing more side work with a group called Tabor Dame not Taylor Dame, that Tabor Dame is a male country duo. And then I got met Kelly Bannon and started working with her. Okay, she was awesome to work with. She was great because her songs were amazing and killer and just really creative.
Speaker 1:Is she solely a songwriter, or what is?
Speaker 2:her. She's a songwriter artist and now she has a huge show on Apple Music.
Speaker 1:Okay, sorry, i was gonna talk about it?
Speaker 2:I think we'll. And I met Kit while I was working with her as well and he had just signed a developmental deal with Universal. Didn't have any money, didn't really pay anything. But I listened to his MySpace one day And cause I published a friend of mine. She sent it to me and she's like hey, you need to go check this guy out. He's looking for a guitar player singer.
Speaker 2:I was like okay, so I went to his MySpace and listened to some of the tunes and I was just like man, this is cool and different. It's got like this Bruce Springsteen.
Speaker 1:That's exactly where my mind went when I listened to him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, kind of a blue collar rock and roll, yeah, and I think there's elements of Jackson Brown and Bob Seager and all that stuff in there. So we met for a beer one night and then the next day I came over to his office He's at Brett James Publishing at the time and just kind of played for him. I was like here's what I do. I play weird shit in Dad Gad Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I like to pop all these weird guitar tunings and he liked it. So I never had like a formal audition kind of thing. There never was that.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And his developmental deal went well, the showcases went well, he got a full blown deal and then we started working like crazy, started promoting the first single, which was actually Mary, was the Marion kind. Not something about a truck, it's actually made with the Marion kind and kind of flopped. It was really cool tune and it was a cool experience. And then we started working truck and something about a truck. Just it changed the, changed our lives, changed everything. I mean Kip and I were gone 270 days that year on the road just promoting it with radio. So we were doing like three radio stations a day, flying in two different cities a day.
Speaker 1:Unreal. I would love to hear about how fast that level of a turnover happens. from what I've heard from my manager, it's like three months. It can be that fast.
Speaker 2:It can be totally that fast, cause once that thing gets on the chart and it gets ads and if it's going to be a good hit, you know it's just it's a rocket ship and you just better hold on.
Speaker 1:I would love to hear more about your experience on that level of a tour, like life on the tour bus, just for our listeners, who are just like budding artists. They want to get in, they want to get to that level. Like what can you give them a glimpse of? like a day in the life with Kip Moore?
Speaker 2:Yeah, i mean. Well, the early days is like anybody else a van and a trailer, you know everybody's driving, you know it's. Once you go to your first bus, life gets better.
Speaker 1:Sure Yeah.
Speaker 2:At least you're comfier. You never really sleep Like that's the thing. For 13 years I never really didn't sleep a full night because even in the you're on a bus and you're in a bed, you're in a moving thing going 70 miles an hour down the highway. So it's not really good sleep, It's just rest.
Speaker 1:It's not the glamour that people think it is.
Speaker 2:No, and it and after a few days, like it, just basically becomes a fraternity house on wheels, is disgusting, wow, wow, because you're dealing with other people's messes, other people's habits, other people's weird quirks.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:And other people's filth and yeah So, but it's an adjustment and it becomes, just comes, a big, moving family. Yeah, and it's awesome. It really is. There's so many challenges to go with it too, because you have to deal with the personality aspects too. Life changes, all that stuff, and there's things like, you know, addiction and stuff like that you have to deal with too, and so just so much. There's so much to it, but it's, you know the day. It's a family. Yeah, at least you hope you want it to be. You hope it is.
Speaker 1:Right, you can only hope, and I know it's going to be, it's got to be. Just the grueling aspect over that people don't understand.
Speaker 2:Like you will play a show Like?
Speaker 1:what time would the show wrap when you would be in the bus, like on the road?
Speaker 2:I mean usually the show would be done by 10, 30, 11 o'clock, right. And then you, if it's a normal time sometimes it's late shows you don't get off stage until 12, 30 or one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then obviously, the bus driver takes you all to the next town.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but then there's load out. So you got to wait on the crew load out, right, and so we were always running two buses, a crew bus and a band bus, and we'd always run together. So we had to wait for the crew bus to get done on loading at the semi. It would just take them, you know, a while. So a lot of work, yeah, and uh, yeah, so it's. I mean, by the time you're rolling, it's like maybe three, four in the morning, to the next town.
Speaker 1:Damn That's yeah. It's just fascinating to me to and then you know, joe Leathers are now our mutual friend. He goes on tour with Lee Bryce and you know, just as, just as a writer, which is like so mind blowing to me His Lee's bus has a recording studio in it, which did Kip's bus have that?
Speaker 2:Now, because we were, uh, we just had the band bus with Kip, so Kip had a little back lounge. We had like a little full-size bed in the back. Okay, we had the bunks, so there really wasn't room for anything like that. But we always carry, i know, i always carry my stuff, my laptop, and you know.
Speaker 1:Recording gear. yeah, Yeah, recording gear, but that'd be cool to have a studio I know right, I just let someone some of these artists that have like in-house songwriters that tour with them so they can keep the material going. They can always have fresh material while, even while they're doing these grueling tours. So it's just interesting to me. But I would love to hear your story about John Paul White and how like that whole relationship blossomed And you know it's been a really long time, obviously, but how did it kind of change as the years went by?
Speaker 2:Well, the relationship was purely through, like the Tuesday Music Club, like I mentioned, and school. He was also a student at University of North Alabama.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay.
Speaker 2:Oh, he was in the program there as well And so we just knew each other through that. And he had just signed a deal with Capital Records and was making a record And we had been writing some together And we had wrote in this tune called Losing Me And this is just super haunting beautifully dark, beautifully dark sad song. Awesome, I love those. Making music. Sad again.
Speaker 1:Yeah right.
Speaker 2:And so he called me one day and he said hey, man, i want to let you know I'm gonna put the song on the record. And I was like what is my first cut? too Amazing, my first non-sync, you know, not TV film stuff. But my first actual cut was that.
Speaker 3:That's all right, yeah.
Speaker 2:And I was just so happy.
Speaker 3:Amazing.
Speaker 2:And it was the first song on the CD as well, and I was just so thrilled And so we he needed another guitar player, and I was already familiar with his style and the way of playing and playing similar styles well, and so it worked And honestly, i look back in my career and like that's one of those things I wish I had done longer.
Speaker 1:What which one?
Speaker 2:Play with John Play with John, oh, really. Because I did that right before the Scholes thing. Oh, okay gotcha And I kind of had to choose. I was like I only have time for one of these.
Speaker 1:I see.
Speaker 2:So I wish I had ridden out the John thing a little bit longer, even though he was going to end up doing the Civil Wars anyways. But you know, it was just. it was so much fun to play with him because he's so musical and so melodic And he's willing to take chances. I'm like doing super moody, sad, dark stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Love. I mean he's a huge fan of, like Radiohead and Tom Weyets and all that stuff And I love it, and I'm too, and I love Radiohead. I'm just moody, or the better.
Speaker 1:What is your personal songwriting process look like typically? Or do you have? I mean, it seems like you're such an incredible instrumentalist, so it's heavily involved with the instrument most times, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, i mean for me from writing by myself. it's like I'm always starting with a guitar groove.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:It's always something I'm always inspired by music first and foremost.
Speaker 1:That's what I loved about writing with you. It was really refreshing, i feel like it got me out of my normal way of thinking and it made me more creative.
Speaker 2:Like sometimes the normal thing, like I'll have a hook idea pop in my head So I'll write on my phone, or I'll have a melody pop in my head So I'll sing it on my phone and then forget about it. Right, then look at it like, oh yeah, maybe I should do this.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Normally it's like I sit down. I got a guitar right here. You want me to do it. Yeah, do it. It's like yeah.
Speaker 1:Live songwriting.
Speaker 3:Here we go. You did that all right A little bit.
Speaker 2:Maybe I'll bring that up a little bit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, bring it up a little bit.
Speaker 3:There you go.
Speaker 1:OK, then.
Speaker 3:I need to move this around faster.
Speaker 2:So I'll kind of start with like a I don't know, this is just ripping this right now.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So start with something like that You already hear Melody going, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, start laying in a Melody like.
Speaker 3:I'm just.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:Then I'll start putting like weird delays and stuff on it, just to fill it out like I love that.
Speaker 1:I mean that's what I like. I said I think that's what Yeah Listeners, like your ears, want that It's like the catchy, just like ear candy. And I've noticed I've listened to a lot of Morgan Wallen and I know people hate him but I think it's just the most catchy, unbelievably catchy music. You know you cannot get it out of your ear, your head once you hear it. And it's so driven by those guitar hooks that I've noticed And I know it's been like that for many years. But like I'm just not kind of realizing like the kind of thing you do is so powerful. If you're wanting to go down, like straight down the road, country direction especially, i think it's really important to have a great guitarist on board who can like give that really rhythmic, unforgettable hook to make the song shine.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's good if you sit in a room with people like to have all the elements there of all the writers.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Have a great lyricist there, have a great Melody person or a trans person And then have a great instrumentalist, you know, because Definitely, and you can feed off each other, use each other's strengths and playoff weaknesses and stuff like that, oh yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i was just writing with a guy yesterday and he's got that producer kind of ear, you know, so it helped to have you get to hear the instrumentation that was going around the lyrics that you're writing. I feel like I don't have that ear that you definitely do, so it's been a joy, but I would love to know your take on And how long have you been doing this now? Like 30.
Speaker 2:Gosh, yeah, About 30 years yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i mean, you've seen the rise and you know that, the mountains and the valleys of a lot of different artists around you, and what kind of is your personal takeaway lesson of the people who survive through all of those elements of being an artist? It's really freaking tough, like you have to have fixed skin and what's kind of a lesson that you take away from, like how to get through it?
Speaker 2:Gosh, I think I'm going through that right now.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, I mean, what's the point of?
Speaker 2:You want to impart, you know.
Speaker 2:Not being on tour with Kip and the band anymore. It's been a struggle and a transition And, just personally, i had other things going on in my life this last year that are huge struggles with a lot of surgeries and just other stuff going on. Yeah, so definitely been an adjustment and, like I find myself for a while there, i was just ready to give up on everything And at the end of the day, like so, i started writing by myself a lot and just going just to try to get stuff out, kind of like would be journaling or something Right. And I found the songs I mean I never play them for anyone, but they were very therapeutic and taught me a lot And they kind of relit the fire in me again. And that's when I just started just writing a time Amazing Written.
Speaker 2:I've never written by myself that much before my entire life And I think it. I think a lot of times when you go through trials and tribulations and struggles, she was just going to write the better stuff anyways. Yeah And Amen. And then I started reaching out to people because I wanted to start co-writing again And because that's the thing being on the road when you're on the road you don't have time for people, because people stop calling you, because you're always going on. So I went from co-writing all the time back in 2005 to not co-writing all the time because I was never going, never home, never around, so just writing with the guys and that's it, yeah. So I wanted to get back in. I still had a lot of good connections in Nashville And so I started reaching out to friends like Tiffany Goss.
Speaker 1:Yes, i want to have her on this season for sure later on.
Speaker 2:And I had talked to her over 10 years And I was like, hey, would you like to get there and write one day, like I'm just wanting to get back on the room with some people again. And it's been awesome. She's been one of my favorite writers to work with here lately.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's just good to have. I'm finding a new foundation, a new crew, So my advice is yeah, don't give up.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Don't give up, even after your worst time. Keep writing. You're going to find some good stuff in there. You have to really dare to suck.
Speaker 1:Dare to suck.
Speaker 2:To find the good stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I guess you kind of skirted on around. My next question is like the whole theme of this obviously is daring to suck At. No matter what level you're at in your career, you will always have this kind of imposter syndrome or nagging kind of self-doubt that's always going to like the passenger seat, so to speak. And what area of your life do you find that you've consistently had to deal with that? Is it just being an artist in general?
Speaker 2:I think it's all of it. I think it's artist, writer, everything. I doubt myself all the time And I think it's something I've been working on with my therapist a lot. Yeah, we're talking about self-love and self-compassion, and so I've been trying to be more compassionate to myself and not put all these pressures and reasons I mean all these bars at the set. I'm just right, just right. I'm at that point now. If it makes me any money at all, i don't know, but I'd have to do it And I've got to say it's in me, it's in my blood And I have to do it.
Speaker 1:I know That's so true. I think I've been having valleys in my career too, and it's just like that's the only thing that brings you back home, to the whole point of this whole journey. Right is just to write, to express yourself. That is the greatest gift, and I think social media can be really damaging in the fact that you just can scroll too much too often and you can compare yourself, and that's been something that I've struggled with And I think a lot of artists struggle with. It's not normal for us to see the journey of so many other people at once.
Speaker 2:No, it's yeah, And I think maybe people of my age have a hard time adjusting to that too. Yeah, because I learned music from a different way. Yeah, or I would have to go to the record store to buy the CD And I would wait endlessly for the new Guitar Magazine come out with a tab in it so I could learn how to play it. Now it's immediately available. There's 50,000 YouTube videos on how to play the song online. It's just, it's different. Now It's easy to beat yourself up. I find I get my most creativity by saying this, but by not listening to radio. I don't have a clue, honestly, what's going on in the country music industry in Nashville right now. I find it better to walk into a co-write completely fresh as doing what I do. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Totally. I love that. A lot of the greats. I know Prince has been interviewed about that And he's like I don't listen to other artists. I don't listen to music And I get burned out for sure. I listen to classical only, or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean the stuff I listen to is. It's all over the spectrum, but I definitely always listen to the stuff that inspires me And it usually has nothing to do with this town or this genre.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And I think that's good, because that brings out something different into the writing room when you sit down with someone.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah. Yeah, it's been really interesting And I'm sure you can relate to this. For sure It's like I'm coming from the Americana world and I'm trying to make this next record more straight down the road kind of country, and it's an experiment for me To write. That kind of music is not my forte, but I think it's part of the artist's job almost to take that route, to take it there and to experience writing within the box, because you got to learn the rules first to break them. So it's true, yeah.
Speaker 1:I think it's an interesting kind of journey to take.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely it's a journey.
Speaker 1:It's a journey man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i bet you got to constantly try to reinvent yourself too, you know.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Or it gets stale.
Speaker 1:What to you, no matter what genre it is. Like what constitutes an amazing song to you, like what moves you the most.
Speaker 2:Do I? does it make me feel something And I think that's more for me musically than it is anything about a lyric And that's the musician side of me too. But like, i'll give you some examples like OK, classical Edward Elgar, the enigma variations OK, probably one of the most beautiful pieces of music Like I cry when I hear it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And it's an emotion Like if you like this band or not. I know they're really controversial, but like Coldplay Love, i don't even care what the lyrics are, but you listen to a Coldplay song, you're going to feel something, you're going to pump the anthem or you're going to like you're going to feel something. And then I listen to like Gregory Allen Isikoff And his music is a little bit sad, beautiful, it's poetic and delicate And for me it's all the vibe Like I don't think he could just mumble lyrics and I would have no idea, but I still feel the song.
Speaker 1:That's how I feel about like Delta Blues music, because they're not really about the lyrics. Right, Delta Blues is about the vibe.
Speaker 2:It's monotonous, even, yeah, it's very monotonous, but it gives you entranced.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good point. I would love to hear more about your studio setup that you've got here.
Speaker 2:Oh man, It's not huge And I finally updated it after all these years, Like I've been using the same 10-year-old Mac that's limping And it's finally been all new stuff. But I'll try to pan around and show you.
Speaker 1:OK, cool. Yeah, we also have this interview up on YouTube for our listeners, so you can check out the video of this. Wow, how many guitars do you have?
Speaker 2:So yeah, this is my old touring vault here. How cool is that? My amps in the bottom And I got more guitars over there And I got a wall full over there And I got closets full of guitars. I got like 32 guitars, Wow.
Speaker 3:I love it.
Speaker 2:Just one more, please, just one more. That's one more, there's never enough, i'm not there yet I haven't become a gearhead necessarily. Here's on my fun little stage, Wow look at that.
Speaker 1:Oh my god, i love it. I would love to hear about what's kind of like on the horizon for you as an artist, as a songwriter, like what are your goals?
Speaker 2:My goals right now is I actually want to release just a little five song EP. That's just me Just doing my kind of singer songwriter stuff.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:I've always wanted to do it And I'm debating on whether releasing it under my own name or another name, so I'm still trying to figure all that stuff out. But I've been writing for it And I've been slowly recording it And now that I got all the new gear I'm kind of ready to start diving into that. Hopefully the next year I'll have something Building it Yeah, learning too, because it's just all the new tech and all the new gear and new software and not being on the road. Now I have time to focus and learn, and it's just a new thing to learn.
Speaker 1:Are you able to or what do you use?
Speaker 2:I'm using Logic. Logic, that's right, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a big learning curve for me.
Speaker 2:I was on Pro Tools for years back in the day And then I just kind of eventually got away from it And Logic for me was very intuitive, especially being an Apple person. It was just super simple and intuitive. But, like my drummer, eric from the band, he uses Ableton.
Speaker 1:OK, did Kip use stems from Ableton?
Speaker 2:I mean, i'm sure he used some kind of electronic kind of His show is pretty crazy, because there would be half the show would have no tracks whatsoever, not even a click. It's just us playing together, oh wow. And some of it would be like you'd have a stack of extra background vocals Or maybe an extra keyboard part, but there was never much, it was just little elements like that that maybe we couldn't pull off with just us.
Speaker 1:Gotcha.
Speaker 2:Instrumental in the every now and then.
Speaker 1:yeah, Yeah, that's just fun. I saw I watched his recent Good Morning America performance I think it was for his new single or something And it sounded like he had some kind of stem, kind of support, some kind of tracks or something. But maybe I was wrong.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's always a couple little things here and there, but yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, i need to dive back into that. That's so much fun. So where can we find you? besides Instagram, do you have a website for your personal stuff?
Speaker 2:I do, I need to update all of them, OK. But yeah, my name adambrowdercom And then my other little company, Woodworking and Art company that I have is 1008woodcocom.
Speaker 1:OK, I saw that That's linked on your Instagram. Ok, I'll link Adam's Instagram and this whole caption for the podcast And definitely keep us posted with your solo project. That sounds amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm excited to work on it. It's going to be fun.
Speaker 1:Hell yeah, and hopefully it'll be on Spotify for everybody to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I also need to finish recording our other tune.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love that song. Y'all We wrote the status love song Oh, I love that one. Oh, it's so good. And you kind of already accidentally answered this question, But I always like to end every interview with this question because I just always find it inspiring to hear people's answers. But have you ever almost quit And what kept you going? And you can just kind of touch more on this a little bit.
Speaker 2:I've almost quit every single day.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a good answer. I see that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and what keeps me going is I haven't zero job experience for anything else, so I'm not going to do this.
Speaker 1:Oh no.
Speaker 2:That's the same thing. I haven't done it so long. It's like applying for a job. So what are your previous job experiences? Well, I lived on a tour bus drinking whiskey.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so true I don't know. Well, I think a lot of people appreciate that answer. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, i almost quit, every single day. I just don't give up.
Speaker 1:I'm going to quote you on that. That's a really good one. Well, i really really appreciate your time. I know you're busy And I know our listeners are going to get a lot of inspiration out of your story and just your journey to being where you are now and going forward as a solo artist for the time being, and just experimenting with this new side of yourself is really, really cool to see, so I'm excited you're doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, thanks And thanks for having me and looking forward to getting in the room again with you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely, i'll holler at you. All right, all right, see you soon, bye, bye.
