Country Update Features

EVE OF A NEW ERA

ADAM Brand has just completed a huge Tamworth Country Music Festival where he won three
Golden Guitars, the CMC Video Artist Of The Year award as well as launched his latest album
Blame It On Eve. The album represents a significant career turning point as he told
BOB ANTHONY Jnr.

ADAM Brand has never been one to play the “blame game”.
However if he finds himself up for Golden Guitar nominations next year, there’s little doubt he will
Blame It On Eve. That’s the name of his sensational new album which was launched in
Tamworth in January .

Prior to the launch of the sixth album of Adam’s with Compass Brothers (including his Christmas album), there was plenty of talking within the industry that this album was Adam at his best - a more ‘edgier’ sound projected with plenty of heart and soul.

For Adam, Blame It On Eve represents 12 months of hard work, from writing songs which have covered a wide range of personal emotions, through to developing a sound which he believes is “right on the money” when it comes to what he is after.

“This album has been the longest to record of any of mine and probably the most intense,” Adam said.
“I had been writing songs leading up to this for at least a year but as different emotions came up, the highs and lows in the my life, so too did the songs change.

“There was so much I wanted to get out but I didn’t want to second guess what the album should sound like.
“It was important that it developed of its own accord.”

The album draws its title of the third track, ‘Blame It On Eve’, a powerful and emotive number which typifies the strength of the songs among the 14 listings.

“The title has also got a bit of play on words to it - with me being Adam, you know, Adam and Eve,” Adam said cheekily.
Adam admits that some of the subtle changes in his music and his songs are due to working with co-writer Travis Meadows who has had a profound effect on him.

Adam first started working with him on the What A Life album and the synergies which developed between the two have resulted in Adam delivering songs of a far more personal nature.

“We met at the start of What A Life and just got on,” Adam said

.
“I suppose you could say we are kindred spirits and with Blame It On Eve, we planned well in advance to spend time writing together before going into the studio.

“It took a long time to compile a list of songs and I wrote my butt off, trying to get the best songs possible.

“The criterion for the album was simple - find the songs that I felt most comfortable singing and performing.

“There were plenty which covered the highs and lows in my life but if I felt the emotion of the song while I was singing, that was the key.
“We finally got a balance in the play list which works well and I am really proud of this album.

“Blame It On Eve will be the next two years of my life, getting out there promoting and performing songs off it and for me, it’s just really comfortable.”

Another factor that is working well for Adam is his band which first appeared on What A Life.

At Tamworth, Adam took to the stage at Wests for his annual “birthday bash” and gave a stellar performance. It was obvious to the packed house that there was a real connection between the performer and his band.

“I can honestly say that it was one of the best gigs I have ever done there,” Adam laughed.

“The band is now cooking and fired up and that’s inspiring for me.”

Adding a new dimension to both the album and Adam’s stage presence is backing vocalist Chris E. Thomas.
“Chris came in to do some backing vocals on the album and had such energy that I asked her if she wanted to go on tour with us,” Adam said.

“She said yes and has really added a new dynamic to the show.
“I wanted to shake things up, I always want something different from my shows and Chris certainly adds that.
“She is a great singer and has a fantastic stage presence.
“For me it’s very important to keep changing.

I don’t want people coming to me and giving me a pat on the back and saying ‘nice job’.

“I want to be ‘busting out’ at shows and with the line-up we have in the band now and with the songs off this album, I’m certain that can be achieved.”

Producer Graham Thompson, who again was at the helm for the trans-Pacific project (the album was recorded in both Sydney and Nashville), believed that the band was a key component in helping to shape the new sound for Adam.

“They – Greg Morrows (drums), Mike Brignardello (bass), J.T. Corenflo (guitar), Doug Dugmore (lap steel) and Chris have created a sound for Adam that is exactly what he and I wanted,” Graham said.

Anyone who saw Adam’s performance to open the Golden Guitars award night would agree. His single ‘Get On Down The Road’ certainly set the tone for the evening and is destined to be a huge hit for Adam.

His performance at the awards evening was only one of a number of highlights for Adam which included picking up three Golden Guitars for his involvement with Lee Kernaghan and Steve Forde on the ‘Spirit Of The Bush’ project.

While delighted to have three more Golden Guitars to add to his collection, Adam humbly acknowledged that he played a minor role in what was Lee’s ‘baby’.

“It was great to be up there, collecting the awards for the song but it was far more than that,” Adam said.
“I feel as though the success of the song was a good thing for the community as well and those communities which we aimed to help are the real beneficiaries of the song’s success.

“It was a huge collaborative effort by so many people and full credit has to go to Lee who got the thing going – we were just happy to be part of it all.”

Adam also picked up the CMC Video Artist Of The Year for the second year running. While delighted to pick up the award again, Adam saluted the contribution which the pay TV country music channel has made to the Australian country scene. He is no stranger to the video medium, having released DVDs of previous concerts and also a documentary on the recording of Blame ItOn Eve which comes as a bonus disc for a limited time on the new album.

It’s all part of sharing the experience.

And sharing the music with his fans is exactly what is on top of his agenda for 2008. In fact Adam freely admits that his passion for music has never been greater. Talking to me on the phone while travelling on his tour bus heading to Sydney, he said he had sat down with Travis Meadows and Mike Carr and was penning new songs.

“I have been so inspired by these guys that I have never done anything like that before in my career,” Adam laughed.
“To have those guys around is a great motivation and I feel very positive about music at the moment.”
If his plans come to fruition this year, Adam will have plenty to blame on the new album.
“I want to get on as many stages as possible and try and expand my audience,” Adam said.

“I could not imagine life without music, it picks me up when I’m down, motivates me, gets me pumping and there’s nothing better than singing songs for people who want to listen.”

Sounds to me like Eve certainly has a lot to answer for!

Check out Adam on his website at www.myspace.com/adambrandmusic