John Adams – No White Lies

By starrymag | April 2, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I’ve tried to combine the organic elements usually linked to a songwriter with some minimal electronic sounds to try and make something a little more modern that still keeps the vocals and the storytelling as the focal point.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I’m a huge fan of the way Passenger tells a story and I’m a sucker for a real good voice such as Sam Smith, Emeli Sande and James Bay.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Million Lives.”

 

A) I’m not sure if it’s worldwide, but in Wales there’s a wives’ tale about Robins. Many people say that if you see a robin then it’s a long-lost relative paying you a visit. There are some real heartwarming stories of comfort about the same robin hopping on to a gravestone or singing at a meaningful time. I love the idea and when I started to think who I’d visit when I become a robin, the lyric “If I had a million lives, I’d find you a million times” was born. It’s actually quite a nice exercise if you’re feeling thoughtful. To form the verses I’ve drawn on a few of my favorite memories from this life that will hopefully mean something to those that I plan to visit one day.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think the lyric is really simple and we all have that certain someone that we love so much that we’d want to find them in every life given the opportunity. I’ve had some messages from couples that are getting married this year that would like “Million Lives” as their first dance, which is really special. It’s wonderful to think my music will be the soundtrack to such a life-long memory.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) Given the subject of the song I thought it would be fitting to have my family and friends in this video. We did a performance in the woods on a really frosty night and had a good old sing along miles away from any noise or light pollution, just us. It was so much fun despite it being minus 2 and will be a fabulous keepsake to look back on and see how badly we’ve aged.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

 

A) Every song is written differently. Some start with a lyric, some start with a melody, some start with some music and if you’re really, really lucky all three of these can fall out of you simultaneously as if you’re just feeling out loud. I’m continuously making notes and voice recordings so that if ever I’m a little uninspired I always have something to get me started.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) I’m quite hands on and probably a bit of a nuisance. I searched high and low to find the right producer. Lee House is fantastic at capturing a live vocal and he’s a whiz on a computer so he can add sounds to your music that are unlike any instrument you’ve ever heard. Most of the time when you’re writing the song you can hear the production it needs.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live John Adams performance?

 

A) Lots of talking. [laughs] I sometimes spend fifteen minutes introducing a three-minute song. When you’re on tour you sing the same songs every night and the only thing that makes the experience any different is the relationship you build with the audience in the short space of time you have together. As the title of the EP No White Lies suggests I’ve tried to keep the music, the stories and the live show experience very honest and I hope people leave the show knowing a little more about the songs and who I am. I’m aware that a lot of my music can be quite emotional so I try to balance the tears with fun sing alongs and humor.

 

Q) What songs off your No White Lies EP are you looking forward to performing live?

 

A) My favorite song to perform is “Flames.” It’s really driven and refreshing compared to the storytelling acoustic guitar led tracks and really injects some pace into the live show. It also uses a fair chunk of my vocal range and when I’m feeling fresh it’s a great track to open up those lungs and sing like nobody’s listening.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new EP as a whole?

 

A) I guess I just want people to relate to the content. They are all really honest emotions that I’m sure everyone else experiences. I often take comfort in a song putting exactly how I feel into the perfect sentence so that I can make sense of my own emotions. Writing these songs acted as therapy for me and I’d hope to offer the same to the listener, even if it’s just a 30-minute distraction.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

 

A) My favorite place to perform is on the streets when I go busking. I love the freedom to perform whatever I want and people seem to get great joy from discovering a musician they like when they are least expecting it, which makes me feel quite proud of myself.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I’m a huge Passenger fan and I relate to his lyrics so much that I just know we would be best of friends. Writing with him would be a dream come true, but I’d settle for a cup of coffee and a chat, too.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) James Morrison has always been my biggest voice crush and he’s just released a new album so I’ll be playing that to death ahead of his gig next Friday.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Just like the live show social media gives people a chance to find out who you are as a person. I’m currently on my first ever tour and I’m finally putting faces to the names that have commented and supported my music on social media for a long time. It’s been like meeting family and without social media we wouldn’t have been able to build the relationship we have.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Just a massive thank you! Before I was a musician, I was a Maths Teacher. I’d trained for years to be in that position, but I just knew that I needed to take the leap of faith and pursue a career in music before it was too late. I’m now able to do what I love full time and the amount of support is overwhelming. There have been so many people that have taken my dream as seriously as their own and there’s not a day goes by that I’m not appreciative to be in the position I am. I know how hard it is to arrange babysitters or travel to come to a show and how hard you need to work for the £10 people use to purchase my album, so I’m beyond grateful for anyone that helps fund my music. I’m also unsigned so I don’t have a huge marketing budget, but I can always rely on my fan base to share the new music and this year they pushed the new EP to number 2 in the songwriter charts. They’re the best!