Today we meet Adam Cleaver and you’ll be impressed with this new folk voice coming out of London. I’m a little bit more of a garage rocker these days, so it’s sometimes difficult for me to attempt to explain how this sounds, so I’ll just defer to his press…..
Adam’s incredible voice paired with post-rock influenced guitars and echoing drums is a beautiful and captivating combination. His sound is not dissimilar to acts like Frightened Rabbit and Dry The River but also draws comparisons to Ben Howard and Death Cab For Cutie. This single shows another side to Adam, an intriguing side that feels like a progression from his previous singles.
“Narrow Spines is about weakness,” explains Adam. “When someone is so trapped in their own grief they aren’t able to comprehend the people around them”. The song has a much broader intensity to the sound than on his previous single Man or Beast – Narrow Spines embraces a much larger sound. However, the themes remain close to Adam’s heart as he uses his music to express raw, personal emotions which are also portrayed in the video.
For those unfamiliar with your band’s history, can you tell us all how you all met up and decided to start a band?
I don’t think there were any major decisions when it came to writing and playing songs. It’s something that’s been fairly constant for me. The guys that play in my band are friends that i’ve made through music being as constant as it is.
2) Who would you list as your musical influences?
I tend to soak up music from all over the place! There are certain important artists for me like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Iron and Wine, Other Lives, but it would be difficult to say that there are only a few.
3) What’s the coolest thing that’s happened to you as a band since you started up?
Getting some airtime on 6 Music last year was pretty great. I was Lauren Laverne’s Headphones Moment. But we’re about to head out to Germany with so perhaps the best stories are yet to come.
4) What are your hopes and dreams as a band for the next few years?
I’m look forward to bigger projects at the moment. It’d be great to think about an album in the near future, and get on the road more often.
5) What are some of your favorite albums from the past few years?
This is one of those difficult questions where you go blank! I really loved Fear Fun by Father John Misty, and Nocturne by Wild Nothing. In fact I went a bit of a binge with Nocturne, there was a whole week where I barely listened to anything else. I did something similar with To Pimp a Butterfly recently, I had to pull myself away from that record.
6) Do you see any real use for social media, or is it all just a pain in the ass to keep with?
I think it’s a necessary part of most people’s lives now and it provides a huge platform for new music. There are definitely aspects to it which can get a bit tiresome but if thousands of ears have all this new music available to them then that works for me.
7) Do you pay attention to reviews or comments from people about your music or do you just turn that noise off?
I think one of the best ways to understand your own work is by hearing what others have to say about it. I don’t feel like i’ve ever gotten bogged down with someone’s opinion, but it’s a good thing to understand that the music changes from person to person.
8) If you could tour anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?
I’m pretty keen on the idea of Scandinavia at the moment. I’ve never visited before so touring over there would be a great excuse!
9) Can music save the mortal soul or is just a good backbeat to your life?
I would hate to think of music as merely a backdrop. I actually do feel like music has the ability to broaden perspectives and bring genuine emotional growth. I guess if you’re open enough, then perhaps you’ll get something real out of it.
10) Any last thoughts for your fans?
I really hope you like the new single! There’s so much more to come!
Adam Cleaver:
