Jack Adamant | Matt Connarton Unleashed

0:00 Speaker 1: That is back from me, and that is Jack Adamant and the name of the album, which is I want to make sure I get it right Helium and low voltage wiring. Like I said, it's a mouthful, but I think we've got Jack on the line with us. Hi, Jack, are you there him? I'm here, Hey, welcome to the show. I love your sound. I want to tell you that right up front, really really good. So it's great to have you on.

0:23 Speaker 2: Thanks, thanks, thanks for having me absolutely absolutely.

0:25 Speaker 1: Now where are you joining us from? Are you in Stockholm? Is that correct?

0:29 Speaker 2: That's correct?

0:30 Speaker 1: Okay? And then so you're originally from Italy? Yeah, yeah, yeah, excellent, excellent. So what what what took you to Stockholm?

0:40 Speaker 2: I think it was music related? Oh really, yeah, it was because of my previous band.

0:47 Speaker 1: Oh okay.

0:49 Speaker 2: One of the members of the band he moved here before me.

0:53 Speaker 1: Oh okay, so then you moved you moved there for the band?

0:58 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, that's correct.

1:00 Speaker 1: Interesting. Well, obviously you must like it there because you're now you're doing a solo thing. But but you're still there, so is it Is it a great place to live?

1:10 Speaker 2: I think so? Yeah? Cold? Now he's getting like dark and cold.

1:14 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, same here. Yeah, I can relate. Yeah, absolutely absolutely. How long have you lived in Stockholm?

1:22 Speaker 2: It's more than ten years now, Oh.

1:24 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, so you're used to the dark and cold by now. I would imagine if so, if you ever truly get used to it, you know, it gets dark and cold here and and uh where right where we live where we live where in that time of year where it's dark at four o'clock in the afternoon, and it's like, uh, we never quite get used to it. But but uh, I feel your pain. How cold does it get there? I must get pretty cold?

1:48 Speaker 2: Right this week is getting a little bit warmer, as you say, but it's been minus last week snow. Oh yeah, well it's pretty fine. Yeah, it's fine.

2:01 Speaker 1: But at least you're yeah, well you're making some great music from there, and that's that's wonderful. Can you tell us about so I'm really curious about the title. Like I said, it's a mouthful the title of the album helium in low voltage wiring. What does that mean? I'm super curious.

2:17 Speaker 2: It came pretty quick. I think we had a list with my drummer Jed and the bass player Vicks, both of them there still based in Italy, okay, And we were discussing about the title this new album, and we wanted to make a list, and on the top of the list there was this one okay Helium think Yeah. In the beginning was just Helium okay. And it was more like I was dreaming and all of a suddens like I woke up and I was back to reality, and I was trying to describe that kind of feeling of dreaming and uh, you know it's like weightless.

3:08 Speaker 2: Yeah, you feel light and there are no rules and you can dream about anything limitations, and then all of a sudden you woke up and the reality like put you down.

3:26 Speaker 2: But I think Ilium it was more like the contrast between something that is like floading and electric wires that's like ground that we know, that's like it doesn't belong to any wires, to any kind of restriction. It was that kind of imagery or the picture of something floading being ground that there was like weird and at the same time was the right fit for the weirdness of this album.

3:59 Speaker 1: Okay, No, I like it. I like it. I was reading about you, so is now is this true that you you started playing guitar when you were twelve and you began writing when you you were learning to mix on a on a tape recorder that you wanted a street raffle. Is that true?

4:16 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's true, that's true. Oh wow, funny memories.

4:21 Speaker 1: Do you think you would have me? I mean, had that had you not won that recorder in the street raffle, do you think you would have you would have gone forward with your I mean that was literally the start of your recording career, right, Like, do you think that? Do you think you still would have found your way there to doing what you're doing now? Because it's so interesting now. Sometimes these little moments you know that happened when we're kids, You know, they can they can set a series of events in motion that that shape your whole life and career.

4:49 Speaker 2: My parents they didn't really want me to buy a guitar, so I was already struggling there to find a way to either to buy a new guitar, to buy a guitar that was my my first, or to build my own guitar. Yea, so I remember that I was like carving a hole in a biscuits, uh thin, Yeah, And I was trying to make my own, my own guitar. But it was a kind of a failure. It didn't work out. So the the easiest way was just to bag my parents. It's like, please, I'm gonna I'm gonna behave at school, I'm gonna do whatever you asked me for, but just buy me a guitar.

5:32 Speaker 2: They were a little bit skeptical because you don't know how to play guitar. You what you have to do with your guitar. It's just yeah, it's just my way to start learning and and not being distracted, but to do something new.

5:48 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so they so obviously they ultimately relented, and I'm sure looking back they're very glad that they did, or at least I would hope so right without so yeah, yeah, So and then did you like growing up, did you kind of dabble in different genres or because I hear a I definitely hear a mix of influences in your music. I'm really curious about about your you know, the process of you know, learning the guitar, and then like what did you get into musically, what were some of your influences growing up and while you were learning.

6:23 Speaker 2: We say, in my previous band, I was playing bass and singing, and it was more like a hard rock band, but heavily inspired by bands like Diners or Junior, near Vara and Mad Honey. I was saying, well, I always like these songs that they really didn't fit the groove of the nature of this band. So I was planning to release them in a in some way or in some format, and there was like the reason why I started this solo project. And so the influences then changed a little bit. I was more in liking to j mask like solo acoustic project that he had beside then besides times a Junior or a neutral Milk Hotel.

7:17 Speaker 2: This kind of like the first release that I had, like launch or twelve since s aty two and then we were talking about twenty seventeen. The one was like a kind of five songs stripped down. Yeah, and from there it's like I felt, I fact, there was something missing, Like I enjoyed the fact that like there was an epy acoustic and very intimate, but I felt that it was the sound was not really there was something new to be able to be evolved a little bit more. And then when you when again touch with my actual drummer Judd and we started working on that on a new sound and more like inspired by Smashing Pumpkins, moving to into that kind of direction and we want to have like more heavy guitars and drums, like reading in front of everything.

8:23 Speaker 2: We always like play. We always joke about like having the snare sound is at the same level of a voice the vocals right right, kind of drastic. So that was the Still like I think it's still like grunge and alternative rock still like enjoy listening to Dinas Junior, Sabadel or the Smashing Pumpkins and weud Nothings can be like a good influence too, or the Get Up Kids as well.

8:57 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's definitely evocative of those bands. Yeah, I definitely hear the Dinosaur Junior influence absolutely So. Now the so the band you have now, are any of these members from from the band you were in before you went solo, any of the same people or.

9:18 Speaker 2: I think maybe they were. One of them was one of the founders, but then he left the.

9:23 Speaker 1: Band okay later on, Okay.

9:25 Speaker 2: So the bass play of it. He was one of the founders of the Ballyriana, my first like my first band, gotcha and they're still in Italy, So the only time that we actually have time to gig and to record and rehearse together is like when we are all like in the same place and this usual ups upends like three four times a year. But yeah, we have managed far.

9:56 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you know, we live in a time obviously too where you know you can as far as recording, you know, you can send tracks back and forth and whatnot. But do you restrict that to when those few times that you're actually able to get together or do you ever do you record remotely where you're sending tracks back and forth via dropbox or anything like that.

10:15 Speaker 2: Yes, changed a little bit, it's not the same anymore. But I'll say we try to do everything when we are together, so it is more like the idea of the band and working together on the same on the same thing right after that we have released this new record. Now it's just the goal is mainly like rehearsing and play live.

10:40 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, Now as far as playing live, because you know, because they're in Italy, I mean, do you do solo acoustics shows or do you play with another band or how does that work? I mean, are you actively playing live shows without the rest of the guys or how does that? How does that work?

10:58 Speaker 2: Yeah? I enjoy doing doing both.

11:00 Speaker 1: Yeah.

11:00 Speaker 2: So it's like when when I'm there with them, then it's like it's the perfect time to play together. When when I'm one my own, then if there is any chance of playing live, then I can. I can do like a striped down version of those songs, and he works as well.

11:15 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I would imagine that these songs work well if you're just doing a solo acoustic uh presentation. I would imagine. I mean, when you're writing these, do you? I assume you start out as you and the guitar, right,

11:34 Speaker 1: it can be different.

11:35 Speaker 2: I played bass, I play a little bit of ukulele.

11:38 Speaker 1: You do you play the ukulele? N interesting? Oh that's interesting too, that you play the ukulele. That's wild.

11:49 Speaker 2: Yeah, I said, you can start from from any instrument. I can play a little bit of piano too, Okay. Uh, it's not really like exclusively playing like the first chords on a guitar. So it can also be like humming a melody and then start writing the lyrics. So I don't really have I don't really have like a routine or rule that I follow strictly every time. So it's like if I have, yeah, I would say the most important thing that I have a story or I heard something from from from someone or it's me myself experiencing like something that uh, there's a mark in me and uh, and then I start from there.

12:34 Speaker 2: When when I usually like start on a guitar, I usually experiment a little bit with the with the tuning or staying away from like the normal chord shapes or the shapes or any chords can use like a cape or Yeah. But just even if it sounds weird at the at the beginning, I don't care. Just for me, it's important that doesn't sound this sounds a little bit unusual. That's what I'm looking for.

13:05 Speaker 1: Yeah, I get the impression that that's important to you is to be able to experiment and and create different sounds, different textures that you know that are maybe outside of the mainstream or because you know, instead of just kind of doing your standard sort of you know, three chord rock or whatever. Not that there's anything wrong with that obviously, but but but it does seem like it's important even just listening to the album. You know, I listened to the whole thing all the way through and and each song has unique elements that make them stand out, but they all form a very very much a cohesive listening experience, which brings me to the question, is there is there a theme to the album itself?

13:45 Speaker 1: I mean, you talked about the title, but what about the album itself? I mean, is there is there kind of a theme or a story running through the album? Because I kind of feel like there might be, but I'm not quite sure.

13:56 Speaker 2: For so, Matta, I appreciate the commitment in going through the old albums, Yeah, I appreciate it.

14:02 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it.

14:04 Speaker 2: Yeah, but for sure there is like a team. And uh, when I'm I'm writing, I'm mean it's my meme mainly that he is writing the songs. And I always like having mind the idea of writing a full album, full record. So when I start writing a few lines or the few chords for songs and the many the structure of songs, I always keep in mind like, Okay, this is going to end up in the record. So also it's like if the team is like depression or anxiety. So I already touched this theme on my in my previous songs.

14:43 Speaker 2: For considering that it's gonna be in the in the same record. The next team is gonna be different and the same. With the structure of the songs, It's like, if I have already songs starting with the with the intro with a verse, then I try to have the kind of variety so that it doesn't follow the same structure, and when someone goes to the the full record, it doesn't feel like, Okay, now it's the same song over and over again. It just is boring, you know what I mean?

15:14 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, that makes sense, that makes sense. Now, what what's kind of the future trajectory for you? You know, the album is great. I imagine you're you're focused on promoting the current album, But I'm curious, I mean, do you already have because you strike me as someone who's probably constantly writing. I'm sure you've got a lot of ideas for the next for the next album or the next EP already. Are you? Are you already thinking that far ahead? Are you kind of focused on the moment or what's what's kind of the short term or even the long term future for you?

15:44 Speaker 2: Actually, we were discussing with the with the other guys about the promotion on this record, and now we are releasing like an acoustic version of Touching Nothing because as we as we said, some songs they were born like on an acoustic guitar, so it's nice to share also how they sounded in the in the very beginning we're being produced and uh, then we have a lot of B sides as well. It's like we usually don't restrict ourselves and writing only ten songs for the record, and then you you're going to release the record, there's something missing or you need to change a song, and then you have to write like a last minute song.

16:27 Speaker 2: It's always good for us to have like plenty of songs for the record and then deciding which one they will be in there in the in the in the record, right, so all those songs that they've been left behind, so we want to release them in like a kind of B side album in the future. Cool. So that's yeah, that would be.

16:49 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's that's very cool. That's very cool. By the way, Jack, how do you say your last name because I don't know if I'm saying it? Is it adamant edamind?

16:58 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's correct, mt okay good.

17:00 Speaker 1: I just want to make sure I was saying it correctly.

17:03 Speaker 1: Very good, very good. Well where should people go to keep up with everything that you're doing? Where's the best place for people to go online to keep up with everything that Jack Adamant is doing.

17:13 Speaker 2: We try to be a little bit everywhere because we never know where people can be more active. So we are on Instagram, we are like on Twitter, we are on Facebook of course, Spotify, YouTube or Apple Music, a little bit everywhere. So yeah, we use like we have a distributor, so every time that we upload our music, at least we hope that you will ended up in as many platforms as possible so that people can easily find us and listen to every music. Right.

17:46 Speaker 1: Absolutely. You know, there's there's a term that I like to use, discoverability. It's so important to have your music everywhere so that people can discover it. Absolutely that that's that's really the key. Uh Well, well, Jack, thank you so much. This has been wonderful to talk with you. Like I said, I do love the album, and I'm also going to I haven't had a chance yet to listen to your your earlier work, but I am going to. It's all on band camp, which is very convenient. But I do but I do encourage everyone to check out Helium and Low Voltage Wiring.

18:16 Speaker 1: Great great album. Listen to it all the way through it really it's just really good. And like I said, each individual song, you know, it's it comes together. It forms a cohesive listening experience, but each song also has its own unique elements that I love, and it's just it's a great listen So I encourage everybody to check it out. But and I really appreciate you joining us, Jack, and we will definitely do this again in the future as soon as you have something new. We absolutely need to have you back because we really love what you're doing.

18:47 Speaker 2: Thanks at very appreciated.

18:50 Speaker 1: Absolutely. I think I'm going to close out our segment with this track Taught You Nothing. This is another favorite of mine from the album. Anything we should know about this song before before we play it.

19:01 Speaker 2: Oh, that's a story of one of my best friends who moved to Sydney and uh oh yeah, he always had like such interesting stories about his life and tattoos and yeah, so.

19:16 Speaker 1: So he moved to Sydney, Australia. That's a that's a that's a long way. Well, very good. Yeah, so we'll we'll we'll close out the segment with this and uh, but we'll let you go, Jack Adamant again, thank you so much, and we will talk to you again soon, I'm sure. Yeah bye now, all right, bye bye, all right. That is Jack Adamant. Make sure you check out his album Helium and Low Voltage Wiring. And uh, let's play this again. This is another one of my favorites from the album. This is called Taught You Nothing