Der in Südafrika geborene Brendan Adams ist in seinem Leben schon recht weit herumgekommen. England, Schweiz und Deutschland waren einige seiner bisherigen Stationen. Irgendwie führte ihn sein Weg schließlich auch nach Vorarlberg, wo er auf die idealen Partner für sein Trio-Projekt traf. “17 Eternities” lautet der Titel des zweiten, eben erst erschienenen Outputs und begeistert mit einer wunderbaren Mischung aus Folk, Soul und Improvisation. Brendan Adams im Gespräch mit Christian Davidek.
Brendan, leaving a country is never an easy decision to make. You currently live in Switzerland, but where is home for you now?
I don’t actually live in Switzerland anymore, I am just visiting my family now, I was living there for the better part of 2006 and 2007, but now I am trying to spend an equal amount of time in Africa and Europe just to balance my heart and mind, home will always be Cape Town, South Africa, on the other hand, where ever there is love, music, food and a bed I feel at home.
Having travelled South Africa I would guess it might take another century before something like equality is reached for all its people. Then again it is a wonderful country and a popular destination for tourism, too. Brendan Adams for President: what would be your first action for this Nation?
Well, this is tough. Firstly I think that equality is a broad term, in the dictionary it would describe the meaning as, equal in rights, status, advantages, there’s racial/social/sexual etc, this equality is not close to absolute anywhere in the world, I think equality is in the eye of the beholder. Though, right now oppression is not gone it has just evolved. It is a wonderful country for tourism but I know many people who would argue that it is not a great country to live. I love it because I know all its potential having seen it from different perspectives. My first action as president would be to take the strongest measure to eliminate corruption in government so that the system can ultimately produce honest leaders, who’s aim is to empower the people and through this create unity
Singer/Songwriter have always been out there but more heavy styles have dominated the last decade, well, in media at least. If we decide that sort of a renaissance for singer/songwriter has finally arrived, how would you define your role/your position within the wide fields of great artists like Fiona Apple, Fink or Jack Johnson?
My position right now is way underground compared to the guys you have mentioned, but I think that is an important place for any artist to be because that is essentially, where music is most and remains alive, and is impervious to that recycling machine, and trend is not allowed to decide when it should die. It’s like those plants that seem to have died overground, but their roots live on and there flowers flourish sometime again in the future. I appreciate being a part of music anywhere, anytime. I think we all have different stories to tell and different ways of telling them,
By the way, do you get fed up hearing the name Jack Johnson in interviews?
I don’t mind, ignorance has caused people to say and do worse things than compare me to him. hahahahaha.
I have seen you performing 17 Eternities. It was a very intimate situation in a lovely club in Vienna. You seemed being comfortable playing your music but very quiet inbetween songs. Do you consider yourself being kind of a shy guy?
I am shy, but most times I just don’t see the reason to say meaningless things while I can make music, because it’s so clear, that music can say much more and can not deceive you. I have improved at talking a bit though.
What are the ingredients of a perfect gig for you?
When people listen and respond to the music in an unspoken way and they just get encompassed by the rhythm and sound, oh yes, and also when people buy cd’s because they feel, it’s perfect music to make love to.
Due to the acoustic sound 17 Eternities has a warm and analogue feeling. Lenny Kravitz’ first Album “Let Love Rule” came to my mind – not comparing your music to his but thinking about his more electric approach to a similar kind of music. Is more noise at all an option for you?
Yes, more noise is definitely an option. I guess the music is also something that evolves. The louder I hear it in my heart the louder I’ll turn up the amps
17 Eternities is excellent music for kissing and enjoying silent moments, which are supposed not to be too silent. You must have a few favorites for such moments yourself. Who would be on a Brendan Adams “kissing-playlist”?
Frank Sinatra (strangers in the night), Bob Dylan (simple twist of fate), Bob Marley (waiting in vain), Nirvana (lithium), Charlie parker’s (loverman)
The other way round: who can make you dance?
Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse, Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, Nortorius BIG. Any James Brown
You are actually a trio. Alfred Vogel from Vorarlberg/Austria plays drums, Markus dePretto from Switzerland plays bass, both produce too. How do you work (on an album) and who is the boss?
We like to believe, that the music is the boss. So we keep our ears sharp so that we can pick up what each song needs specifically, and then how each of us can do what we need to do, to fulfill that common goal until we feel satisfied. Essentially we all say or suggest something at some point.
How did you guys meet in the first place?
I did an open mic, that my sister found out about in Zurich and Markus and Alfie happened to be playing in the opening band, a few weeks later Alfie tracked me down and we arranged a meeting at Markus’s place and then we just kept jamming. It was and still is amazing to do it.
Are you the happy indie-music-family, who do all the work by themselves from recording to labelwork?
I guess we are. And an old saying, that I heard from Alfie, goes, we are what we are and as time passes the more we will become what we are supposed to be..
I am sure you have travelled places with the Brendan Adams Trio. Which gig did leave an impression in your memories, why and which country was it?
I can honestly say, it was the last gig we played so far in a little place called Bezau, Vorarlberg, Austria. The crowd was great, the sound was good and everything just happened unexpectedly but beautifully.
Not that we had enough of 17 Eternities yet but how wild is the guess that new songs are in the making as we speak?
The truth is that there are always new songs in the making, and about a new album there is definitely something cooking in the kitchen, but I don’t know when exactly the dinner will be ready for you all, but keep listening.
aktuelles Album: Brendan Adams Trio “17eternities”
Boomslang records im Vertrieb von HOANZL/BROKENSILENCE