Singer-songwriter Adrianne recently released her sixth solo record and a new band project. Like Mieka Pauley, she has the DIY thing down pat, even self-producing and self-engineering the latest work. With a penchant for stories of the heart, Adrianne has been winning crowds over with her almost non-stop touring. Whether as part of a musical gaggle or totally on her own, Adrianne is a force to be reckoned with.
Congrats on the new record. I like what I’ve heard so far. Your last outing was all covers, right? How do those project approaches differ for you — originals versus covers?
Well mainly it’s less frightening releasing a covers’ record. The reason I did it was because I wanted to start producing my own stuff, but I was too petrified to jump into a full original record. So, I did that one first, that way if it sucked, my songs didn’t suffer, someone else’s did.
A very clever strategy! Do you feel like you accomplished your goal without actually sucking or suffering?
Absolutely. I even went a step further and engineered the new record myself, too. That wasn’t easy, but you know you have to challenge yourself in life.
Definitely. It sounds good, so I think you stepped up to it nicely. Besides that, what’s different about Burn Me Up, compared to your other works? You collaborated with Girlyman on it, right?
Yeah, Nate and I wrote a couple of songs together for the record — two of my faves actually! And Doris and Ty sing and play on it. They are dear friends of mine. We’ve known each other for a million years.
So it was a natural progression from the friendship and touring together?
Yeah and they moved to Atlanta where i also live, so we’re finally neighbors! They are brilliant musicians. One of my favorite bands ever.
Right on. Are you digging Atlanta, hanging out with Emily Saliers and all?
I actually met her, yes. And I never get star struck, but lord I could barely speak. Anyway, this record is different in so many ways.
Tell me more.
Well first of all, it’s the truest to who I am as a songwriter and musician and singer. I used a lot of instruments that you normally wouldn’t hear doing the things they are doing. Hard to explain.
I love cool, unexpected instrumentation.
Basically, there are country elements that are used in a non-country way and combined with more ambient, electric guitar stuff. Sort of a salute to living in Atlanta.
The cheese grits are seeping in, are they?
Yep! Except I still hate grits. There’s some banjitar, ukelele, buzuki, mandolin and then mixed in there a lot of programming and synth stuff. It was an interesting task trying to get all these elements to work together.
Nice. I’ll have to listen more closely and try to find them. Which song is the kitchen sink in?
Ha! No kitchen sink, also no spoons, unfortunately!
Despite this one being all your own, you seem to enjoy the collaborative thing — did that start with the North La Brea All-Star Conquistadors tour last year?
It did, but since then I started this new band that I’m really excited about called the Rescues.
Tell me about the Rescues. I listened a little.
It’s going really well! We write all our songs together and just put out a record. We’ve been getting a bunch of song placements and our manager is kicking ass.
Sweet. So, considering you have two current releases, what’s on tap for the rest of the year?
Touring, touring and more touring.
So you’re taking it easy and just coasting through? Is that what I hear you saying?
Yeah, right. I was just on the Olivia Cruise. They asked me to come play. And I was on a resort in Cancun for a week. It was incredible. Topless lesbos everywhere.
Living the good life!
Heaven.