Interview: ADAM DOLEAC (Part 2)

 

I sat down with one of my favourite country artists, Adam Doleac for a great chat after his show at C2C Country 2 Country in London. Check out Part 1 of our interview here, and read on for more info about his favourite songs to play and write, making an album, family and more!

 

Ciara's Country (CC): You decided to bring another C2C artist out on tour with you – Alana Springsteen, who’s opening for you on the Barstool Whiskey Wonderland tour - how do you choose who opens for you on tour?

 

Adam Doleac (AD): I don’t have that much experience, because this is my first headlining tour, so I’m usually the one opening for people like Kane Brown and Zac Brown Band. But this time, they sent us a list of a bunch of artists, and Alana is somebody that I think is super talented. I think she's got a big career ahead of her. She's also a great writer, which we’re able to do a bit of on the road too, so I asked her, and luckily she said yes! We're having a blast, she's been killing it. Hopefully both of us make it to New York on time for the show!

 

CC: I’m hoping your Stateside tour turns into a world tour soon.

 

AD: You and me both! As soon as I can, I’ll be back here, I promise.

 

CC: Have you noticed a difference between how US fans respond to your music versus UK fans?

 

AD: A huge difference.  Both crowds love the music, but in very different ways - UK fans have a lot of respect for the music, they're very quiet - you almost have to tell them to scream if you want them to scream, whereas in the States it's more a lot of drinking, a lot of ‘rah rah’. It's a different type of thing. I kind of dive in the ‘John Mayer’ world of things - acoustic guitar and singing, so I love how quiet the crowds have been here. I played a show last night and you could have heard a penny drop on the ground. I love that. That's my favourite way to play, so I hope the crowds here have had as much fun listening as I’ve had playing for them because they've been great.

 

CC: Having just seen you perform live, I can definitely vouch for that.

 

AD: Thank you!

 

CC: Do you have a favourite song to perform live?

 

AD: Probably Whiskey’s Fine. That's my favourite song to sing right now. It always changes! Coulda Loved You Longer is another one of my favourites to play. Barstool Whiskey Wonderland is another great one, too. I love that one.

 

CC: You’ve written so many songs for yourself and other people, including Darius Rucker, Dan + Shay, Lainey Wilson. Out of all the songs you’ve written, which is your favourite?

 

AD: That's a near impossible question, they're all my babies! You know, my favourite song right now is on the new record, I think – Where Country Music Comes From. It's number two on the record, and I actually wrote it to be the last song on the record, but I just fell in love with it while I was recording it, so I moved it all the way up to number two because I wanted to make sure people heard it! I love songs that are simple and can relate to everyone, and I feel like that song really does that. No matter who you are listening to it, you can relate to it. That's my favourite thing about a lot of music.

 

CC: Of course, so much goes into the process of creating a great album – was the tracklist order something that was really important for you?

 

AD: Always! You remember when you're in seventh or eighth grade, and you’re making a burnt CD or a mixtape for someone you like? You think about the order, because it needs to flow. I actually really care - I listen to the songs, I put them all in order, and I make sure I like the flow from top to bottom because that's my favourite way to listen to an album - top to bottom.

 

CC: I’m going to be listening so closely to your album next time I play it! I’m looking for some new album recommendations too - I always find festivals like this great because they really allow us to discover up-and-coming artists. Are there any underrated artists out there you think everyone should be listening to?

 

AD: Yeah, there's so many! One that comes to mind is my buddy Matt Roy - he's an up-and-comer. He’s a great songwriter with a bit of an Eric Church vibe to him. You know, I actually call him my Nashville child. He's not actually my son, but he's my Nashville son and I think he's going to do some great things coming up. He's written a couple of number ones already and I think he's starting to do his own thing as an artist, so yeah, shout out Matt Roy!

 

CC: Sweet, I'll keep an eye out for him. Final question for you, Adam: what is one question you've never been asked in an interview but would love to be?

 

AD: That’s a tough one! I like any questions about my family and the way I was brought up and raised. I have a song called Mom and Daddy’s Money that kind of incorporates that. That's a big part of who I am and where I am, so I love getting to talk about them anytime I can.

 

CC: Will we be hearing some songs influenced by family on your next project?

 

AD: For sure. Actually, most of them are, whether you realise it or not. There's a lot of family in there. You know, speaking about your question, somebody asked me yesterday ‘if I was a potato chip, what type of potato chip would my personality be?’ That’s a question I've never ever heard before, but not one that I wanted to be asked!

 

CC: Well, I liked all your answers today! Adam, thank you so much for your time, and I can’t wait to see you soon!

 

AD: I really appreciate it, thank you for having me! 

 

A huge thanks to Adam for such a wonderful interview! For even more interview content, stay tuned at @CiarasCountry - plenty more to come!

Interview: ADAM DOLEAC (Part 1)

 

I knew I wanted to get a lot of interviews done at C2C Country 2 Country, but without a doubt the one I was most excited for was with Adam Doleac! After becoming a staple of my playlists from 2020 – present, it was fantastic to catch up with him and chat about his experience at C2C, tattoos, Paris, touring and more!

 

Ciara’s Country (CC): Adam, it is so wonderful to meet you! Thank you for joining me!

 

Adam Doleac (AD): You're so welcome!

 

CC: We’re speaking at the tenth anniversary of the C2C Country 2 Country music festival – how has the festival been for you?

 

AD: It's been really great. It's my first time in the UK playing music, o it's been a really special experience. Everything I've done this this week has been smaller, intimate and acoustic, which has been really cool to see. I didn't really know if anybody was going to know the songs when I got over here, but everywhere I've played, the crowds have been bigger and louder than I thought. They’ve been super attentive too - the crowds are very respectful of the music. It's been really cool to see it. I've had an absolute blast so I'm going to try to come back as soon as I can.

 

CC: We’ve loved seeing you in these intimate settings and getting to know a bit more about the stories behind your songs. Is there one song in particular that you really like sharing the story of?

 

AD: I think my favourite story is actually for a song called The Puzzle of Us. It's an older song written back when I used to play music basically anywhere that would hire me. This one particular night, I was in a biker bar in South Alabama - you can picture me on stage singing love songs to a bunch of bikers, not a great fit! I ended up taking a break and I sat down next to this biker guy, he was tattooed from head to foot with a leather vest and leather chaps, and I noticed on his right arm a tattoo of a puzzle. You could see every piece of the puzzle but he had left one piece out. 

 

I asked him about it, and about two minutes later, his wife came and sat down right next to him. She was in the same kind of leather chaps and leather vest, but she only had one tattoo - it was a puzzle piece, in the same exact spot that he left out of his tattoo to kind of complete his puzzle. I didn't know bikers could be that sweet to each other, to be honest with you! I wrote that down on my phone and I think I wrote that song the next week. That's always been one of my favourite stories.

 

CC: That’s so cute!

 

AD: Yeah, no one would know that that song was inspired by two bikers from South Alabama!

 

CC: I see you also have a few tattoos yourself.

 

AD: I've got two, and they have stories too. My little brother Alex drew the one that's on my left arm, which is special to me for that reason, and then I have Mississippi tattooed on my chest because it’s where I'm from. I haven't regretted either one of them! I'm looking at getting a third, and maybe a fourth pretty soon. I'm a fan of tattoos!

 

CC: Maybe we can inspire you to get a UK-themed tattoo.

 

AD: Maybe!

 

CC: Speaking of the UK, is there anything particularly British that you have or want to get up to while you're here?

 

AD: We've done all the sightseeing, things like Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace because we’re staying down in that area. I was really excited to see The O2 actually, where C2C is held. I've never been here but Kings of Leon: Live at The O2 was one of the first music DVDs I ever had when I was a kid so I've always heard about it. It's been really great. It's been a little more of a work trip than sightseeing though - we've played something like seven shows this week! So we've been busy, but I feel like we've done most of everything we'd like to do while we've been here.

 

CC: You had a bit of downtime before you came to London, spending some time in Paris. What was your highlight there?

 

AD: Oh, man. Yeah, my wife and I went to Paris for three days before we came to London. The highlight was just kind of being in Paris! We'd never been so it was our first time – I thought the Eiffel Tower was actually quite stunning in person, it was bigger than I thought it was going to be! It was really cool. We'd always talked about going to Paris so it was a great three days there. That was a good chance for us to just have three days with no plans and roam the streets of Paris, walk around, eat baguettes, eat a lot of good food, drink a lot of good coffee. It was a great time.

 

CC: Where’s next on your list of places to travel?

 

AD: I actually have a flight in about three hours to New York City! I've got a show that I'm happy to say is very sold out at the Bowery Ballroom, so I’m really excited about it.

 

CC: You’re right in the midst of your Barstool Whiskey Wonderland tour, right?

 

AD: Yeah, my very first headlining tour which is a little bit scary! You know, when you do your first headlining tour, no matter who you are, you're a little scared that tickets aren't going to sell. Luckily, we’ve had a lot of these selling out and the crowds have been incredible! It's been really fulfilling, really special. We're about halfway through the tour right now so I’m excited to keep it going.

 

CC: What are the best and worst things about being on tour?

 

AD: You know, I actually like being on the move. I like the hustle and bustle of being on the bus and staying up late. I like seeing new people new places, meeting new people. I think the most important thing about being on tour is being on tour with people you like - you have to spend a lot of time with these people, so if you have a good crew, which I'm very lucky and do have, you look forward to being out there. Really the only downside for me is that a lot of times my wife can't be on the road with me, so being away from home and being away from her is hard. You have to make a lot of memories without each other sometimes which is tough.

 

CC: But a lot of stories to share when you’re back, I’m sure.

 

AD: Yeah, I think most of my titles and ideas for writing songs come from being on the road. That's why covid was such a weird time -you know, we were just stuck at the house and writing songs, so I’m happy to be back out on the road for sure.

 

Don't miss Part 2 of my interview with Adam, where we chat about UK vs US fans, favourite songs to write and play, artists to watch and more - stay tuned @CiarasCountry!

Concert Review: C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY 2023 (Day 2 Headliners), The O2, London

 

After a profitable morning (check out my review of the smaller stage acts here!), first up on the Main Stage was Matt Stell, who’d played the BBC Radio 2 stage and the Spotlight Stage last year. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Matt Stell, but did I think he was ready for a Main Stage set? I’m not so sure. Nonetheless, he proved his rockstar credentials with songs like One Of Us and This One’s Gonna Hurt.

 

Matt certainly has swagger but I enjoyed it most when we got to see the more vulnerable side of him – he sat down on the stage to sing Sadie, and told us about the song that changed his life Prayed For You. I’d like to see more of that Matt. He for sure knew was the UK audience would want though, and gave us covers he knew everyone in the audience would sing along to – All The Small Things, Mr Brightside, and Champagne Supernova. Good ideas, Matt!

 

I wasn’t too familiar with the first artist up on the Spotlight Stage, Randall King, but I’m always ready to be surprised! Randall himself seemed to have been surprised by the British weather, as he bundled up in a coat as he performed. Like Drake Milligan the day before, Randall is exactly the kind of act I’d like to see when visiting a honky tonk. His Southern drawl came out on Hey Cowgirl and in the uber-fun You In A Honky Tonk (immediately added to my playlist!) The last song he played for us was the first gospel song he’d learnt to play on the guitar – I’ll Fly Away. Fitting that it was a gospel song for someone who truly had the voice of an angel.

 

The next act was one I was excited for. I’d had enough of cold, wintery days, and I knew Morgan Evans would be the perfect act to turn that around, and he certainly was. With gorgeous beachy visuals and feel-good songs, Morgan put me in the perfect mood for that Saturday night. Even his outfit – a cut-off vest and jeans – made me feel like I was in warmer weather.

 

Everything about Morgan’s set was great, from the songs like Young Again and Kiss Somebody  to Morgan’s connection with the crowd. He shared his happiest moments – Sing Along Drink Along – and his saddest moments – prefacing Over For You with ‘When I wrote this, it felt like the saddest song in the world. Sometimes it still does.’ I don’t know too much about Morgan, but he seems like the type to always see the best out of a bad situation, something which a sneak peek of his upcoming single Hey Little Mama suggested – you can’t dance in the rain if it ain’t raining.

 

He finished with the sentiment ‘as cold and dark as it is in London right now, the sun’s still up somewhere in the world so we still have time to get a little Day Drunk!’ I’ll drink to that, Morgan. A fun set that pulled me right out of my winter blues.

 

Sam Williams returned to the Spotlight Stage in an even sparklier ensemble than before to perform three songs for us. I think he picked the right three to highlight his versatility – The World: Alone showed the sadness that resonates throughout his record; Wild Girl gave us the more upbeat side of Sam; and I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry gave a nod to his family roots.

 

From Hank Williams’ grandson to a Hank Williams-esque band, next on the Main Stage was Midland. These boys certainly brought the Wild West to the UK that night with their smooth, sometimes sultry songs. We got true stories (Playboys), love stories (Sunrise Tells The Story) and cheating stories (Cheatin’ Songs). All three members of the band are charming – frontman Mark Wystrach making all the ladies from the front to the back swoon whenever he sang, bassist Cameron Duddy joking around with the crowd (and literally ripping his pants) whilst he soloed on The Boys Are Back, and guitarist Jess Carson helping us boogie on East Bound And Down.

 

We learnt pretty quickly that a Midland show goes something like this – fast, slow, fast, slow – so at times it was hard to know whether we were meant to be on our feet or sitting down. Highlights for me? Their cover of Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman, the impeccable harmonies on Burn Out and, of course, Drinkin’ Problem. For me, some of their songs are a bit samey, but the vibes were good, and I enjoyed the show.

 

We had one more artist on the Spotlight Stage that evening – Elvis reincarnated himself, Drake Milligan. His mini-set was high energy, with Sounds Like Something I’d Do, Overdrinking Underthinking, and Kiss Goodbye All Night. Out of everyone I saw at the festival this year, Dustin will be my one to watch.

 

Then it was time for the final act of the night – Lady A. I always claim I’m not a huge fan of Lady A (not that I don’t like them, just that I don’t necessarily seek out their music), but if I’m honest, I knew the words to every single one of the songs they played that night, so here I am, officially announcing myself as a Lady A fan. And damn, it felt good to be one that Saturday night!

 

After decades of performing together, Hillary, Charles and Dave certainly know how to put on a show. We got a stunning pink powersuit from Hillary, insane visuals lighting up the stage behind them, and of course unstoppable vocals on each and every song. I was dancing, I was singing, I was having a great time as they shared songs from the very beginning up until now.

 

We got the fun songs – Downtown, Champagne Night, Bartender, we got the love songs – Wanted You More (I really don’t know how Hillary and Charles have never fallen in love when singing that song to each other every night), I Run, Just A Kiss, we got the heartbreak songs – Heart Break, What If I Never Get Over You, and Charles’ goodbye song to whiskey As Far As You Could. Whether this was your first Lady A show or your fiftieth, it was about as fun as they get. A great end to our Saturday night.

 

Day 2 of C2C done and dusted! My highlights: Jillian Jacqueline, Morgan Evans and Lady A - who were yours? 

Still one more day (and plenty of interviews!) to come! Stay tuned to @CiarasCountry to be the first to know when they’re posted - thanks for reading!

Concert Review: C2C COUNTRY 2 COUNTRY 2023 (Day 2), The O2, London

 

It felt like only a few hours prior that I’d left The O2 (and indeed it was - check out Day 1 here first!) before I returned for Day 2 of C2C Country 2 Country. First up for our Saturday lineup were the Queens of UK country music, Ward Thomas (interview coming soon!) With a new album freshly released, they were on top form as they launched into their harmonious songs. We heard new tracks including Music In The Madness, the dark and spooky Justice and Mercy and the sweet Loved By You; as well as old favourites such as Guilty Flowers and Cartwheels. Whether it was the years of practice or their sibling harmonies, Catherine and Lizzie seemed particularly fine-tuned as they brought the BBC Radio 2 stage to life. We ended with the fun and upbeat Next To You and clap-alongable Carry You Home – probably the best Ward Thomas set I’ve seen to date.

 

Not long after, Corey Kent made a reappearance. In contract to Ward Thomas’s full band, this was just Corey and his guitar, and quite frankly that was all we needed. His silky smooth voice flowed over songs like Tumbleweed, Highways and Gold, leaving everyone truly hanging onto his every word – you could really have heard a pin drop. He gave us the choice of a Beatles or Travis Tritt cover (country, always), highlighting his efforts never to put on the same show twice.

 

Something I really liked about Corey was his genuine nature – he shared his story of starting out by writing songs for other people before deciding that he wanted to write songs for himself. The results? A beautiful song called How You Know You Made It, where he sings ‘I got a house that’s home, a can that’s cold, a hand to hold, that’s how you know you made it’. As he ended his set, he seemed genuinely grateful for the song that changed his life – Wild As Her. Corey, we were grateful to have you play it for us!

 

I dipped out of the venue to head off for interviews with SmithField and Amanda Shires (coming soon!) before returning for Madeline Edwards, who had been hotly tipped as one of the ones to watch at C2C 2023. As she went through her set, it became clear that Madeline’s voice would suit any genre – her smoky vocals worked just as well on the powerful Crash Landed as they did on the sassy Spurs. We also got an insight into her musical influences too, ranging from Childish Gambino’s Redbone to Amy Winehouse’s Valerie.

 

This is a woman who has honed her craft and found what fits for her. She showed her authentic self, from a song about ‘being completely and utterly unhinged’: Hold My Horses to not caring about the opinions of anyone except these three: Mama, Dolly, Jesus. Whether Madeline’s next album takes her more into blues, rock, gospel, or even further into country, I’ll be listening.

 

If you read my review of Day 1 of C2C, you’ll know I wasn’t all that impressed about this year’s lineup (repeats, repeats, repeats), but one artist who I didn’t mind returning at all was Jillian Jacqueline. She came on stage in a stunning outfit (yes, country music festivals really are all about gorgeous sparkly outfits) and began by telling us her origin story of touring with Kenny Rogers as a child which led her to pursuing a career in country music. She finished the story by referencing the phrase ‘they always tell you not to meet your heroes’, but as luck would have it, I would be meeting one of my own later that afternoon (stay tuned for my interview with Jillian!)   

 

After her previous trip to the UK in 2018, Jillian had plenty of new music to share for us, including the ‘very apt for London’ track When It Rains, about that one person you think of every time in rains (it’s raining as I write this – who are you thinking of?) She continued with ‘the only bitchy song’ in her repertoire, the fun Bandwagon which she wrote with Old Dominion’s Trevor Rosen, and then a beautiful song about being grateful for all her past relationships because they led her to the one she was meant to be in – The Ocean: ‘Some loves are rivers, some are the ocean’. I’m a big fan of songs like that – check out Rascal Flatts’ Bless The Broken Road too!

 

I loved hearing both Jillian’s new and old stuff, and she also played Hate Me and God Bless This Mess, which she told us had taken on a totally different meaning after she got married and had a child. Her set filled me with questions I looked forward to asking her in our interview later that day and made me appreciate that a truly good country music set gives us the best of both sides – life is beautiful, but sometimes it’s also Better With A Broken Heart.

 

If sad songs were the theme of the morning, then Sam Williams was the perfect next addition to the lineup. Dressed in a fabulous outfit, I’m sure many members of the audience were not expecting the voice that came out of Sam as he began with Glasshouse Children. A higher tone than many male vocalists, Sam has a unique voice that somehow suits the obvious pain you hear in his songs. Indeed, most were sad, from Can’t Fool Your Own Blood about lying to the ones you love, and one he wrote in honour of his sister who passed away - The World: Alone. He told us he writes these songs because that’s what country music is to him – a way to highlight the darker sides of life. More on that in the interview I had with Sam later that day!

 

And that was it for my Saturday small stage acts – plenty more to come on the Main Stage later that evening, stay tuned to @CiarasCountry to know when it's posted!