Singer/songwriter Seth Adam is well known for his passionate live performances. The alt-country, rootsy rocker draws comparisons to Counting Crows, Will Hoge, and Son Volt. The most recent studio release, Amplify (2010) was described by New Haven Advocate writer James Velvet as “This 10-song full-length is beautifully written, played and produced. This level of craftsmanship and polish are not often heard on the local scene.” Never one to rely on the norms of the music industry, this self-described “scrapper” takes a page out of the Lucinda Williams instruction book by touring as much as possible, and writing deeply personal, heartfelt rock & roll songs.
He has shared the stage with Grammy-winning Robert Cray, Tonic, Vertical Horizon, Carbon Leaf, The Alternate Routes, Will Hoge and Mayer Hawthorne, has had a song licensed to Volkswagen, and was described by entertainment columnist Roger Friedman as “the hardest-working best live act in indie rock.” Seth, along with Gerry Giaimo, John Jackson, and a cast of studio musicians, are currently recording songs for the third studio album, tentatively titled Steel Tempered Pride, projected to release summer of 2013.
Check out our interview with Seth Adams
Why did you select this song as your current single?
‘Push And Pull’ was selected as the first single because for a number of reasons… It portrays the change in direction for the music since the last album. That is, the mandolin is featured in a more prominent, melodic role in the structure of the song, providing the motif from the head to the end. I also feel that while it’s not as conventional and accessible as current pop music, it does have a strong melody in the chorus that I think folks will grab on to. Lastly, I like the story, the protagonist pleading with a significant other to listen, yet allow some space to just “be.”
How does this single relate to the rest of the Album?
I think ‘Push and Pull’ relates to the rest of the album in 2 ways: Musically, it showcases the addition of mandolin into the mix of most of the songs. Lyrically, it’s a song about pride. Every song on “Steel Tempered Pride” is a depiction, angle, perspective on pride. ‘Push and Pull’ is about the pride of someone else, too proud to let someone in.
What was the writing process for the song?
I believe the process was a melody entering my head… for the chorus… the rest was just trial and error between chord structures and accompanying vocal melodies. As long as it sounded right for the story, I went with it.
What does this song’s lyric mean to you?
The lyrics are somewhat personal. They are based off of a relationship… a seemingly romantic relationship I was having with someone. But every time I got too close (proverbially, not actually) she would kind of push away. But when I got too far, she would pull me in. At the same time, I was always trying to pull her in. I thought to myself, “This is nuts! So, how about if you don’t push me, then I won’t pull you.” Kind of made sense to me.
What would it be like to see you in person performing this song?
Well, I think I can sell it. I’ve seen some live videos. Ha! Ha!
Could your fans summarize who you are as an artist by this song?
I think so. I think people that know me and my songs, know that it comes from the heart and is almost always based off of something going on personally. I don’t really write fiction too well.
Is there a video planned and or completed and if so, what was the idea behind the video?
No video at the moment. I really want to drive it home live. Even the cheapest videos can cost time & money, and I’d rather dedicate those two resources to playing live & touring.
One last question, what is your motivation behind your music?
I love playing music. I’m not in it to be rich or famous. I DO believe that I have something to contribute to the greater awareness of popular music. I feel like I’ve never done enough and that keeps me motivated to keep creating, keep pushing. But the motivation behind the music specifically is simply that I have to. I’d be dead if I didn’t.
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