By hunting around the internet, I just came across this interview(here)with Glam Band members Tommy Joe Ratliff and Isaac Carpenter. It was conducted in Stockholm on November 9th, either before or after the Debaser Metis show. Interviewers Emelie, Amelie and Marie were so lucky to score this. I need to get their secret!
I love hearing how thrilled these young men are to be playing with Adam. These two musicians have been around for a while with various bands, and even though its Adams first tour as a solo singer, they credit him with so much natural instinct and trust him completely.
I haven’t met Isaac yet(!), but from my time spent talking with Tommy Joe, I can totally hear him saying these quotes. He has so much like, love and respect for Adam.
Enjoy reading the first part of the interview, and be sure to clickherefor the continuation!
Love ya!
~ Carol ~
How are you enjoying the tour so far?
Tommy Joe: Its been amazing, its been surreal Ive always wanted to do something like this. Ive never actually been on a real tour like, you know what I mean, just like kinda slumming it in a van and this is actually like my first big deal so its been a lot of fun.
Isaac: Amazing, its amazing its a really fun group of people and really fun, fun challenging show to play every night and to play drums behind Adam, Ive never really, its pretty amazing to play behind a voice like that.
TJ: Yeah you get kind of spoiled you dont ever wanna be in a different band with a different singer
I: Yeah, every band Ive played with has its strengths but playing behind Adams voice is just super. Extraordinary.
Is that the biggest difference?
I: No, many things kind of differs from what Ive ever done. Its really, before I played with them and I went and saw this show I just really liked kinda how dramatic and almost like theatrical it is. Its kind of like a play or something its kinda like a set story that gets told every night and thats kind of different its kind of like theres a lot of emotion in it but its kinda rigid schedule in show you know
When did you decide to go for music, to start focusing on music? At what age and why?
TJ: I was twelve. Well, Ive always been really into music ever in like my first and second grade I was like Depeche Mode is my favorite group and then I was into like Midnight Oil, remember that band? I loved them, I loved all these tons of bands Metallica. I grew up listening to that, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and everything. And then when I was twelve I used to see my uncle playing guitar and it made me wanna play. And then I just kinda picked up like a cheap 20 dollars guitar was all I could afford one so I had to like wait and you know and yeah it was pretty bad. And then I ended up just like learning Nirvana songs and Jimi Hendrix songs and everything and I started going from there.
So youre self taught?
TJ: Mhm, Ive never taken a lesson Id actually like to now
I: And this is his first band he plays bass in you guys know all about that.
TJ: Yeah, so Im actually becoming a bass player now its cool.
How about you Isaac?
I: Similar story. I really loved music from a young age. I was buying vinyl at like age five or age four and like when I was like eleven. I actually wanted to play music when I was seven but it was just too hard. I tried to learn some Guns and Roses songs and it was too hard but it really took on when I was eleven and actually I started out as a guitar player too and then I moved to drums later. I never had any lessons either I was just lucky enough, my dad is a musician and my brother is a drummer so I was just lucky enough to start out learning by playing with other people.
What instruments do you play?
I: Im an okay guitar player which makes me an okay bass player and I mainly play drums and percussion.
TJ: I just play guitar and bass.
I: You can play drums too!
TJ: A little bit kinda, I can keep the beat. If I had a drum-set I could get kinda good but I really. Id love to play the drums, Im always beating on things.
But no singing?
TJ: Not at all
I: I sang background vocals in a bunch of bands that Ive played for and I dont do it very well. I can do a background vocal like in albums and stuff if its in just the right range Im an okay background vocalist.
Do you have any more say in the creative process with Adam than with previous bands?
TJ: We kinda, we like you know, we got hired after the album was done and everything so we never got to put our own twist on the album. And usually if he doesnt like something hes like lets do it this way and it just happens but you know we put our own edge to it and I mean the album obviously sounds a lot different from the live shows and just kinda like, the albums great but we kinda add our own things to it.
I: Yeah, he doesnt micromanage what so ever. But it seems like we all really trust his instincts. So he kinda leads just by, just by being confident, but he definitely doesnt micromanage.
TJ:And he definitely has a vision what he wants and gets his point across when your in a soundcheck and stuff like that if he wants something in a certain way he knows.
I: And things slowly. Ive only been playing in the band for two months or what ever but things slowly take on a life of their own without anybody telling anybody what to do you know.
Sounds great!
I: Yeah.
TJ: Oh yeah! I couldnt even imagine playing with other people now like that would just be weird.
For the continuation of this interview, clickhere.
Source
I was at the mall yesterday and stopped at the Calendar kiosk, curious to see what new calendars were out for next year. Browsing through them, I found a Rolling Stone calendar for 2011. Wow, I’d never seen that one before! The monthly pinups are 1 large reproduction from 2010’s covers, with 2 smaller covers on the side. I flipped over to the back side, hoping that Adam’s best-selling cover would be featured. Even though I was looking for it, I was still a bit surprised and grinned ear to ear when I got what I was wishing for! To see that beckoning expression on his face while he’s in repose with the snake was almost too much.