INTERVIEW: Albatross
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We caught up with Adam Stockdole of Albatross to see what they have been up to. Read below to find out more about their new EP, Out From Under, and more!
Read what Adam had to say below:
Describe your sound. What makes you stand out from all the rest in your genre?
I have always considered myself a folk artist, and when playing electric my influences are far more blues/rock oriented. But i love so many different things, motown, funk, phsyc and i love pop music too so i guess im influenced by it all really. With Albatross, i would say definitely folk, but i have found a lot of people consider my music to have bluegrass appeal. I would say its the instrumentation that makes it stand out and also lean toward that. Since spending time in Nashville, i have really enjoyed playing with bluegrass musicians. They bring the bluegrass to my folk, I bring the british folk singer/songwriter aspect to their bluegrass. With all the influences thrown in there, it makes for an educated and influential musical pallet. Hopefully ha.
How did you become involved in music, and make you want to pursue it as a career?
I got a guitar for Xmas when i was four, my dad played guitar and had three brothers, they were all in a band together. So... i had access to all instruments from the earliest age. My dad also gave me a big stack of records... The Beatles, Dire Straits, Jimi Hendrix... So much cool stuff. I cant ever remember not playing guitar, or loving music. I always feel more comfortable when i have an instrument in my hands.
How have fans reacted to your Out From Under EP?
Ive been overwhelmed by the response to this release. I guess i wasnt really sure what to expect. But its been great, friends in music have been really supportive and i have enjoyed some very nice reviews that have come in... I dont have a big following... but have been playing live for a long time, so for the few that have followed me for a while, im really happy to get this record out and give something back. Its taken longer than i would have liked because of other commitments, and as i self released but it feels good.
What is your favorite song from the EP? Any specific story or influence behind it?
All the songs represent different feelings to me, both lyrically, and music vibe wise... But i think “i’d give it all up for you” always brings back really happy memories for me.. Just a time and a person that will always mean a lot to me. Also i struggle to write “happy” songs, most of them are reflective, and its normally the most negative experiences in life that evoke the need to say something about that. I guess its all part of the process. Awareness, Acceptance, Action.
What can fans expect when they go out to an Albatross show?
Ha ha, well hopefully the shows are always good. I would hope that more than anything else. But they are always different. I enjoy all different aspects of performing as albatross. When i am solo, it feels really naked and really honest, i enjoy the opportunity to share vulnerability with the audience. And playing the songs in their most simplistic form is really fun too. But when ever i can, i will use whoever is free to play with me, Nashville is such a great town for that. Everyone here can play, and everyone is good. I guess there have been many incarnations of my live band, this was kinda the idea of the moniker... I didnt want people to expect a constant where there never is one. But i have a great relationship with the people who played on the new record, and so play with them most regularly now. They are all songwriters too, so they get it.... We all play on each others projects.
What is something that you wish you could tell yourself that you know now, that you didn’t know when you first started touring?
Thats a tough one, there are so many great things about touring, but unfortunately many awful things too. Extensive periods of time on the road are very tough, it affects your mental and physical health.. The ways in which you approach it determine how much enjoyment you ultimately get out of it.... I would say most of all just to respect how much the body needs routine.... If you can find a way to implement this into touring life, then you’ve cracked it.... Its hard not to want to do everything all the time... And its important to make the most of stuff, there are always perks and unusual opportunities. But “Balance” is the only way to find some kind of equilibrium. Touring is like a magnifying glass over the creative mind.... It just exaggerates everything, the highs are higher and the lows are lower. Its hard to maintain this kind of living. Most musicians live for the moment i would say, and so looking for progress can be hard sometimes.
What made you want to change from being a touring musician (The Kooks, Mumford & Sons) to touring with your own band?
Ive had so much fun with everyone i have toured with. Ive been very lucky. But the time was always gonna come when i wanted to focus on my own thing. You just have to scratch that itch. Its a different thing and so the satisfaction is different too.
Any plans for a Spring tour?
I am trying to plan as much as i can at the moment, there will definitely be some summer stuff, and hopefully some supports towards the end of the year. Im looking at some house concert options for the nearer future.
Would you like to add anything else?
Thanks, to everyone who takes an interest in me and my music. I hope it means something to you. cheerio x
Thanks Adam!
