ARTIST INTERVIEW: Adam & Darcie
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We are extremely excited to present our very first artist interview. Indiecater Records gave us the opportunity to talk with Adam & Darcie about their latest album, California Trail.
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| Newdust: For starters, what inspired you guys to write music together? | 
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| Adam & Darcie: We both came from musical families. We both felt music more personally and deeply than any other medium of expression. So it was natural that as we came together our music would follow suit. -Darcie I think it was inevitable. It would be hard not to do it if we tried. -Adam |
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| ND: Did either one of you have any musical ventures in the past? | |
| A&D: As long as I can remember, I’ve always been taking instrument lessons, playing in an orchestra, or singing in a choir. As far as something original, I had written but hadn’t had a public platform to share until Adam and Darcie. Adam had so much experience that he kind of carried us until I got my stage legs. -Darcie I grew up in Northern CA playing in a band with some childhood friends. My friend’s dads were in The Moody Blues and Supertramp. At the time I didn’t really know much about either of those, but I remember newspapers describing our band as the sons of these famous guys…and me. |
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| ND: What brought you guys to Indiecater? | |
| A&D: We found out about Indiecater through our friends The Very Most. We’ve been thrilled with Indiecater and appreciate the bridge they’ve been building for our music overseas. We love their passion for music and their approach to sharing it. -Adam |
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| ND: So when can we expect to see you in Dallas (do you plan on doing any major touring with this release?) | |
| A&D: We’ll go almost anywhere we can expect listening ears. I love performing, but we don’t really have the luxury to tour exclusively for an extended time so we have cluster shows in nearby states. -Darcie Hopefully soon. Right now our touring plans are focused mostly around the West Coast but we’d definitely love to head that direction if there’s interest. -Adam |
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| ND: What feelings or emotions were you going for while writing this album? | |
| A&D: I think the theme that I carried through the whole album is the longing for a peaceful, family life. The gold country of California became a symbol of that lifestyle to us. I think there is a nostalgic emotion to the album but hopefully the most prevalent is one of calm and hope in the future. -Darcie A lot of these songs have to do with sense of place… a longing for home. That’s often manifest in the people and places that are important to you. So throughout the album the feelings are very real and relevant to us, and we hope they will be for others in their own ways as well. -Adam |
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| ND: What did you guys listen to while growing up (in other words, what has sculpted your sound over the years?) | |
| A&D: The first artists I became thoroughly acquainted with were from my parents like ABBA and John Denver. I’m at a point in my life where I so relate to Denver’s homage to a place that held his heart. So many authors and artists find their places of origin so influential and I do too. As I began exploring music on my own, I took to the likes of the Beatles and Alison Krauss. I think the influence of these kinds of artists is clear; I write pop with strong folk and indie instrumentation. -Darcie I don’t think you can overstate the importance of some of the classics like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell etc. Then there were some more contemporary songwriters with an impact on me, like Jeff Buckley, Francis Dunnery’s ‘Tall Blonde Helicopter,’ Neil Finn, and The Smiths. And I can’t say enough about some of the artists we’re currently listening to such as Loney Dear, Midlake, Fleet Foxes, The Innocence Mission, Grizzly Bear, and Grandaddy. -Adam |
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| ND: Was it music that brought you two together, or did the music come later on in the relationship? | |
| A&D: The latter. We were suited for each other in every way so we weren’t surprised to find out we shared this passion. We started sharing music really early on, although not collaborating. I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t part of our relationship. -Darcie I think music was always there. I wouldn’t say that it brought us together, but it was there. I guess it didn’t hurt when I first heard Darcie sing. -Adam |
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| ND: We all love the instrumental pieces of your songs because they complement the melodies so perfectly. Were these separate ideas, or were they just a part of the natural flow of your songwriting? | |
| A&D: They came in the flow of the songwriting. The stories or ideas were clear to me, so even in those instrumental moments the transitions felt natural to write. -Adam |
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| ND: Did any of these songs spawn from “jam sessions”, or do you guys like to follow a certain formula when writing music together? | |
| A&D: I think all of the songs start with Adam’s private “jam sessions.” What I improvise on the spot usually isn’t worth keeping. I like to take my time and work through parts and melodies. -Darcie Not so many jam sessions any more. A lot the songs start at quiet times. First thing in the morning or late at night, and then grow from there. -Adam |
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| ND: How old is your son? Has he inspired any of the songs that appear on California Trail? | |
| A&D: His mark on the album is maybe not as literal as a special tribute or lullaby, but his calming influence on our life and our ambitions as parents is probably 80% of what is being expressed on the album. -Darcie He’s almost a year and a half. He definitely has. He is our life now and our experience. I could gush about him, but he really has changed our perspective. You see things in a different way. |
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| ND: How many instruments on the new album are played by the “talented musicians/friends” that you mention on your Myspace? | |
| A&D: Adam is such a capable musician. He does most, I do a bit, and we invited friends to lay one or two parts because we love collaborating with them. -Darcie The recording and live are two different worlds for us. On the recording it’s all Darcie and I except for Dave Newlin who plays bass, and a few featured parts (Tim Koide-violin, Brett Pederson-timpani, Samantha Dickens-vocals, Nathan Housley-guitar). Live there are 5 or 6 of us, and the lineup tends to change periodically based on which friends are available or around (everyone seems to keep moving and coming back; band members have recently been or currently live in Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Portland, and Washington D.C.). But they are all great friends and musicians so the rotation is fairly seamless. -Adam |
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| ND: We noticed on Indiecater’s website, Darcie, that you’re a fan of knitting. Does inspiration ever strike with needle in hand? Adam, what are some of your hobbies outside of music? | |
| A&D: Heh heh. I was using “back to my knitting” as an expression. I cannot claim to have any skill with knitting needles but I love to sew (same family right?). While I’m never inspired musically at the sewing machine, I do catch myself having one person conversations. -Darcie First I need to say (because she’s too modest) that Darcie has crazy skills when it comes to sewing. And she’s quite the baker. And athlete (mostly soccer). And whistler. And she can play the recorder. I like biking. There are beautiful mountains here in UT and I grew up in the Sierras of Northern CA, so biking is a great way to enjoy those. I also like some other semi-nerdy things like disc golf (it’s free!), tennis, and basketball. -Adam |
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California Trail is streaming now and is available as an mp3 download on Indiecater’s website. |
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