Austinist Interviews Adem

Interview conducted by Miguel Hinojosa on October 26, 2006

In my brief career as a journalist, I've dealt primarily with close friends, local musicians that I love and respect, and the conversations are candid and open. This I was rather nervous about. I interviewed Adem the afternoon of his show with Juana Molina at the Parish. He is definitely a man of great ideas and by far one of the nicest people I have ever met. He has a new record called Love & Other Planets that he would like for you to hear.

How has Domino been treating you?

They are a fantastic label. They've just really opened in the U.S. in the last couple of years, [but their] UK end is very highly regarded. It's a great pleasure and I'm very honored to be in their books. There some great artists on Domino.

What are your goals for this album now that you're striking out on your own from your work with Fridge?

What I want to do with this? Well, first I love making music. I've been doing it for a very long time on my own. This is the first project that I've had that I've wanted people to get into. Home Songs, the first one, really stands up [to] repeated listening. It really sort of lasts. With this one ... I really didn't want to make Home Songs II. I wanted to make a record that was a step further forward. Separate. Something that got better over time. Something that rewards the listener.

That's what I really wanted to do.

Most of the time, artists are their own worst critics. What marks do you aim for? Obviously, it's a very natural thing. If you're a musician, you've been making music most of your life. Are there certain heroes you look up to? People you strive to be as good as?

I think the fundamental foundation for everything I attempt is I want to make something that pushes. Something interesting. Something different. You may listen to Home Songs and think it sounds like regular singer/songwriter-type stuff, but there's depth to it. There's detail in the production and in the recording, which is not very common in what one might hear today. Hopefully that comes through. If I had to choose one thing that fundamentally drives and defines what I do as a musician, as a producer, as a human being -- it is to do something that is challenging for me as well as the people listening.

Photo of Adem by Eric Uhlir

When you say "challenging," are you talking about emotionally or intellectually?

It depends, really. In different ways. "Challenging," not in a way that means difficult. To do something intellectually valid whilst emotionally intact, and still being adventurous in spirit. I know that must sound terribly pretentious, but I mean that. [It's] having a sense of adventure in everything.

Do you ever write songs by just singing? No instruments at all?

Sometimes, yeah. I love singing and making things up to natural sounds. You can sing to the drone of the washing machine. It's good fun.

What can people expect from these shows? For someone who has never heard of Fridge, or even Juana Molina for that matter.

For my stuff on this tour I'm primarily playing solo, which is really an adventure for me because I've been getting down to the bare bones of what the tracks are about. I try to get across what I'm trying to do in terms of the production of the record, trying to be intimate on a personal level--almost like where [the listener] can get to know me.

I play guitar and sing. I've also brought along bells and a ukulele and kalimba. I have a harmonium. Other times, I have about six people in my band [who] play a lot of colorful instruments-a drum kit, double bass, six part harmonies, electric bass, harmonium, viola... Live, I try to get all the tiny details out there. To give it that depth you only get at live shows. I've really been working at honing the band.

When playing solo, do you get nervous?

When I play in a band, it's more nerve-wracking. There are other things I can't control. If I'm playing on my own and a string breaks or I make a mistake, I can be like, "oops," and sometimes that can be a cool thing. The audience can be open about it.

This must be an incredibly exciting time for you: you are touring America on your own. It's like an adventure of a lifetime.

Oh, absolutely! It's great. It's especially a wonderful time to travel America because of all the crazy weather in all the different parts. I had to travel through Buffalo just the other day.

The snow capital of the U.S.!

Right. In New York state, you have this lovely autumn and it's like mid-summer here in Texas...

What could you see yourself doing if you weren't playing music?

Thats quite a difficult question because I've made music my life. I studied Mathematics at University and that was something I had a passion for.

Mathematics is very much a part of music, though.

Precisely. However, I enjoy performing more and more, so maybe it's a performance-related thing. Who knows? It's very hard to say. But I've always considered teaching as something that I could do and like to. It's something that I'm good at, as well.

Well, a teacher... performer. The two aren't too far removed from one another.

I think the best teachers are performers, actually. My best teachers in school were those who were theatrical and invested themselves, emotionally, in what they did in lectures. They were inspirational.

What else inspires you?

Well, that's kind of difficult... stuff. When I'm writing it's a bit different. [The songs] kind of inspire themselves, [and] once they get going, they have a snowball effect. I think that's way I work [on] concept albums, because once I have a theme, it keeps on going and that's what the record can be about. Moments. Photos. Snapshots of my life and other people's lives really. Especially on Home Songs. There's a lot of photos that are cellophaned together.

You record at home.

Yes, everything I do is at home.

How would you describe your room?

I live in a big old factory-type place with my girlfriend. It's got very high ceilings. It's in a very artistic part of London. Sometimes it's cold, it's drafty, it's frustrating at times, but it's nice. It's comfortable. I love London so much; it's my favorite place--it's disgusting and filthy, but it's incredible. It's intimidating and harsh, but quite the opposite at times. As long as you know how to use London you're alright. If you go there and are scared... it's like animals; they use that and it'll get you. However, it's great. Any opportunity, any support you need is there. It's all there.

How's the tour been with Juana Molina?

Oh, it's been great. It's us in a mini van together, [with] our sound engineer and tour manager. It's been a real adventure. Juana is a very funny person. We say some of the stupidest stuff. There comes a point when you are traveling together for 2 or 3 weeks and you haven't slept in 30 hours and you start to go crazy together. It's really nice.

What's been up with Fridge?

We've taken time off cause we just have other stuff going on. But we just finished recording another album. It's coming out next year.

What are you listening to at the moment?

A lot of unreleased stuff. Usually by my friends. On the road I listen to so little music even though we have enormously long drives. [If] you've got headphones on, you're not a part of the group anymore. [If] you put the stereo loud, you can't have a conversation... I'm enjoying myself being with these people.

I think that's what it boils down to. Having that connection with people you are experiencing this time with. Especially when in such closed quarters. This is probably one of the few chances you get to spend time with someone from another country, another culture.

I met her when I invited her to play a festival gig and so now on this tour, it feels like being on a blind date with someone for 3 weeks. It's pretty intense. You don't know what's going to happen. That's part of the adventure, though.

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