When Adam Brand won TV’s Dancing with The Stars back in 2009 he was already an established mainstay of the Australian Country Music scene. The intense spotlight that surrounded his victory and turbulent personal life made Brand a household name – some twelve years after his debut, platinum-selling album was released.
Brand escaped to the country-hub of Nashville, Tennessee and based himself in America for much of the time since the win, a move that proved fulfilling in both a professional and creative sense. Now, however, Brand is back home with a new album under his belt and a strong desire to make nuts and bolts country rock and roll, live on stage.
“I saw Bruce Springsteen live at Acer Arena,” says Brand, on the eve of the national tour that will bring him to Victoria in September, “and I thought what an incredible show he put on. There were no laser light shows or explosions or anything – just a great band on stage rocking out. Just as it should be. That’s what I really love about music”.
The ability to replicate a studio album live on stage is important to Brand, who clearly sees his role as being an artist for the people.
“I like to write and select songs that are easy to translate on the road”, he says. “I don’t want that situation where there’s backing tracks and triggers and you’re seeing four people but you’re hearing twelve”.
This approach clearly had an impact upon the recording of new album My Side of The Street, a process that Brand explains was relatively fast and stress-free.
“The time in the studio was about six weeks,” he says. “I had a whole bunch of songs in the back pocket – ones that had been on the favourite songs that I know I’ll record someday pile”.
Brand likes to make his albums fit together emotionally, which probably explains why some of the more carefree tracks on this record didn’t make it onto his previous, slightly darker-themed album My Acoustic Diary.
“The last one was more raw and emotional – there’s more fun on this one” Brand says, before going on to explain his current emotional status and song-selection methodology a little further.
“Music mirrors the personal life to some extent – when I’m writing or listening to songs that my friends or co-writers have written, I always try and imagine myself up on stage singing it – try and see if I could really ‘feel it’. That way I can tell pretty quickly whether I’ll record it or not”.
The tone of the album seems to suggest Brand is in a good space right now, a fact that he confirms.
“It feels good to be home” he says, noting that his previous last albums (before this one) were all recorded in Nashville “my heart didn’t feel like it was right to be living overseas and I just sort of followed that”.
And as for what fans can expect from the upcoming national tour?
“Just a good, honest to goodness band cranking it out with no real bells and whistles”
What more could Brand fans ask for?
Adam Brand, with special guests Jasmine Rae and Matt Cornell plays The Hallam Hotel on Thursday, September 11. For further details visit www.hallamhotel.com.au
LACHLAN BRYAN
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