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10 Questions with ... Adam Fears
June 23, 2013
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BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Alternate Email: foutz@landstarent.com
In 2012, Adam Fears inked a recording deal with Nashville's Landstar Entertainment and went to work in the studio cutting his debut release for the label. The album, was produced by friend and co-writer Jeremy Stover who has written and produced number one songs and hit records on artists Justin Moore and Jack Ingram, among others. Armed with an arsenal of both upbeat rockin' songs and powerful "deep cuts," the new project is already generating quite a buzz on Music Row with anticipation of its release. The debut single from this album, "There's A Girl Out There," has just been released.
"I'm just a country boy from a little farm in East Texas who found that a guitar struck a chord with me more than I ever did with it. I've got a few more miles on me now, but I don't reckon I'll ever change. I'm never late, I drink my coffee black, and it'd be my pleasure to meet you."
1) Adam, your debut single "There's A Girl Out There" has hit radio! Can you tell us a little bit about how the song came about and the reaction you are getting from radio and listeners?
"There's A Girl Out There" is the 'little song that could' for me. It was written by me, Jeremy Stover and Jamie Paulin about the love that left a mark on your heart. I guess you could call it "the one that got away" and hit the nail on the head. We wrote the song several years ago and ended up revisiting it when we were looking for a centerpiece for this new record. I'm so glad we chose this particular song for that role. We are getting great reactions at radio because everyone can relate to that one person who left something in your heart that you'll always hold onto.
2) How would you describe your music to someone who has never seen or heard you perform?
We put on a show. The music is rock-fueled, bass thumping, heart pounding modern, edgy country music that makes you want to get up and dance, and drive a little faster when you hear it on the radio.
3) You've had a journey becoming an artist, from songwriter to the night life scene to everything in between. Could you tell us a little about the path that has led you to this point?
Honestly, it's been a jagged, pothole-filled, twisting, winding road for me- full of countless sleepless nights and a lot of deep conversations with the Good Lord. I learned so much about who I am with every step I took, even if I stumbled. I've laughed, cried, bled, sweat, and lived for what I'm doing now. I wouldn't change a thing!
4) You're known to walk into random bars and see if you can play a few songs at places some nights. What is one of the most memorable stories you have doing that?
When I was on radio tour this past spring I was in College Station, TX with our radio rep. I walked into a place that wasn't even there when I was at Texas A&M, but a couple of my roommates/band members from my college band days were in there having a cold one! We all got up onstage just like we did eight years ago and made some more memories! It was great to see them, and it was totally unplanned!
5) Who and what are some of the big influences in your music?
Anyone that knows me will tell you that I'm a huge fan, if not a complete sucker, for old cowboy songs. I'm a huge fan of Chris LeDoux and George Strait. I grew up riding, cutting horses and working ranches in Texas so the cowboy lifestyle is something I can relate to. The rodeo cowboys are just like me. They call the highway home, hit the dirt frequently, get bruised, banged, and beaten up, all while chasing that dream of seeing their name in the bright lights and hearing a roaring crowd.
6) Do you have any favorite songwriters? If so, who are at the top of your list?
I STUDY Bobby Pinson and Jeffrey Steele. I also saw Rivers Rutherford for the first time at a writer's round a few months back and was blown away. Being a songwriter and writing with people like Lee Thomas Miller, Marv Green, Blake Mevis, and so many others, has led me to become a fan of the heart and inspiration of so many writers.
(7) You were a part in writing "The Gospel According To Jones" (featuring Country icon George Jones). What's that been like seeing the stages of that song throughout its lifetime and with the recent death of Jones?
"The Gospel" as we call it, has been life-changing for me. The song started off with a phone call from Randy Barber. He and I were set up to write at my office one day and he called to confirm he was on his way and a George Jones song came on the radio. He said "that's the gospel truth of country music." The first verse and chorus arrived about 20 minutes after he showed up! Being at the studio and getting to shake hands with the man that gave so much to country music and to the lives of three young songwriters brought me to tears. Seeing him sing the lines I'd written in the studio, then seeing him sing the lines in the music video, then seeing his reaction when Eric Lee Beddingfield sang the song at the Grand Ole Opry, and knowing I was a part of it all is something that I'll tell my grandkids about!
8) What's it like working with Producer Jeremy Stover in the studio?
Jeremy Stover is hands down the producer for me. He gets me and my voice and where I want to go melodically. He's become a friend and someone I respect a great deal in the industry. When he's in the studio making a record, he's in his own zone. It's amazing to watch him work and pull sounds out of engineers, musicians and microphones that are exactly what I ask for. He and I have written several of the tracks for the record and it's great to write with your producer because the song naturally takes shape when we go in and record it.
9) You are coming from the "Texas Country" scene being from the Lonestar state. What's it like trying to prove to everyone that you are every bit of the Country genre rather than just a "Texas Country" artist?
It's been very easy. I am who I am. It's not that difficult for anyone to see I'm just a country boy with a guitar and something to say, after they've been in a room with me for five minutes. I think the trickier part has been trying to prove to Texas that I'm still a Texan through and through. I love "Texas Music" and I think it still comes out of me even in my Nashville recordings. I'll always just be me. I record what I like, and I write what I love.
10) What can we expect to hear from you in the future?
I'm going to keep plugging away, keep writing and keep playing for anyone who'll listen, whether it's for ten or ten-thousand. Songs evolve just as this crazy industry evolves and I'm going to go wherever the songs and the music takes me!
Bonus Questions
1) What are some of your hobbies when you aren't on the road or writing and playing music?
I'm an avid golfer, scuba diver, fisherman, and I love riding my Harley Davidson.
2) What are some of your all-time favorite songs?
All-time favorite- "Greatest Show On Earth" - David Lee Murphy - experienced my first kiss, and my first broken heart listening to this song. I bought that CD probably five times because I wore it out listening to it. The rest of that record is pretty awesome too though!
Second - "Riding For A Fall" - Chris LeDoux - just about the most haunting cowboy song in my mind. This song puts all the questions in a cowboy's mind about why he does what he does, and since I've said that cowboys are just like me, chasing dreams, I relate to it every time I hear it.
3) What junk food can we find lying around while you are on the road?
Ah, the ever-present McDonalds snack-wrap wrapper. That's always flying around in the back seat when the windows are rolled down!
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