Adam Gnade

Adam Gnade
Background information
Origin San Diego, California
Genres Talking songs
Noise folk
Americana
Instruments Vocals, banjo, four-string guitar
Years active 2005–present
Labels Punch Drunk Press, Pioneers Press, Drowned in Sound, Try Harder Records
Website www.adamgnade.com

Adam Gnade is a San Diego, California-born American musician and author currently living on a farm in rural Kansas.[1] In his bio[2] he defines his music as "talking-songs", which he describes[2] as mixing the spoken vocals of talking blues songs with country music, Appalachian folk, noise, psychedelic folk and drone music influences. His work[2] is issued as a series of records and books, which continue the stories of each other's characters and further develop plot-lines. Considered a regionalist writer, he writes mostly about San Diego, a bordertown city in Southern California, namely the area around the US/Mexico border, though many of his stories take place to the south of San Diego in the city of Tijuana, Mexico.[3] Gnade also writes stories that take places across the continental US but according to interviews he's done these stories always reflect the Californian's experience on the road.

History

In late 2005, Gnade signed to the California-based Loud + Clear Records, toured the US, and issued Run Hide Retreat Surrender,[4] his first official full-length record after a series of self-released, extremely limited edition CDs and cassettes.

In 2006, he issued a set of limited run experimental albums (We Are Ghosts and Bones Down Stone-Walled Wells and the 2 CD single) expanding on his "talking songs" idea before signing a UK label deal with Drowned in Sound (also home to collaborators Youthmovies). Drowned in Sound released Gnade's EP Shout the Rafters Down! in November 2006, after which he toured Europe in support of the record, alongside Oxford, England's Youthmovies and Brighton's Blood Red Shoes.[5]

Gnade also recorded a "talking song"-style track with Faux-Hoax in mid-2006, a side project band featuring Dave Allen, the bass guitar player of the 1970s British post-punk band Gang of Four, John Askew from Oregon indie rock group Tracker, and Danny Seim of Menomena and Lackthereof. The track, "Your Friends Will Carry You Home," was released on a 7" of the same name by Polyvinyl Record Co. in May 2009. The 7" also features members of Portland, Oregon's Modest Mouse and 31 Knots.[6]

As of 2007, recent U.S., European, Mexican, Canadian, and United Kingdom radio singles included "Hymn California," "Honey Slides," "Dance to the War," "The Winter/Their Apartment," "Room for Three and the Bayou Summer," "Palaces," "Lanterns, Rakes, and Shovels," "We're Unknowing in the Crosshairs," "The Old Lover," "Snake Lore," "It's Five O'Clock in America," "We Must Come Home Again," and "We Live Nowhere and Know No One."

2007 saw a two-month US tour, a five-week tour of England and Scotland (alongside Youthmovies, Jonquil, House of Brothers, Blanket, and Eugene McGuinness), and the release of Honey Slides, a collaborative EP with Youthmovies on the Try Harder Records label. There was also a tour-only novella, entitled Seasons Loving Nothing, that was available on the UK dates.

His next full-length, Trailerparks, was released by Try Harder Records as a limited-edition, tour-only pressing in late 2008 in time for a three-week tour of Europe with Youthmovies.[7]

In September 2008, DutchMoney Books released a novel of Gnade's writing that continues the stories of the albums' characters. It is called Hymn California.[8] A novella of connected material entitled The Darkness to the West[8] was released in December 2008 via Punch Drunk Press.[9]

In November, the experimental label Blast First (Petite) released a Youthmovies EP entitled Polyp which features Gnade contributing lead vocals to two tracks, "Sad Trash" and "Become an Island" which also features contributions from Joe Shrewsbury from 65DaysofStatic and Hugo Manuel of Jonquil. The resulting tour in November 2008 featuring both acts was called the Polyp Tour.[10]

On 22 February 2009, Gnade announced the release of a new EP. Island's Islands will be released on cassette and limited to just 100 copies. On his website Gnade revealed that each copy of the EP would be recorded separately and each would be completely different.[11] Gnade's next record The Wild Homesick was released in May 2009 on the Punch Drunk Press label.[12]

In July and August 2009 Gnade joined the Van's Warped Tour for a book tour. His tour diaries were published on the Asthmatic Kitty Records website and by the Willamette Week newspaper.[13]

In August 2009, Punch Drunk Press, released a three-way split CD album featuring his songs and the songs of Ohioan and COASTS. It is called Hello America![14]

In January 2010, a new cassette EP, Surrenderland, was released by Punch Drunk Press.[15]

On 31 January 2010 he announced the release of a collection of rare tracks, From Farmhouses to Tour Vans.[16]

In 2011, Gnade released three novellas. California was released by Double Suns studio as a hardback book and The Heat and the Hot Earth and Hey Hey Lonesome were released by Punch Drunk Press.[17] In August 2011, it was announced via the Lungs, Dirt, and Dreams website as well as[18] via assorted media outlets that Gnade would be touring alongside Atlanta experimental country band Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters. On Gnade's website[19] he announced there would be a special tour-only cassette featuring both acts as well as a split cassette featuring folksinger Megan Michelle.

In June 2012, Gnade and folksinger Megan Michelle released a split album of acoustic songs via Punch Drunk Press.

Released in July 2012, Gnade's latest novella was entitled The Growling Mouth, and it was released on the Punch Drunk Press label.[20]

In late 2012, Punch Drunk Press released The Hard Fifty Farm, a split chapbook featuring writing by Gnade and Microcosm Distribution/Pioneers Press owner Jessie Duke. In spring 2013, Pioneers Press released Gnade's first work of nonfiction, The Do It Yourself Guide to Fighting the Big Motherfuckin' Sad, which topped Powell's Books small press bestseller list in May, 2013. Since its initial release as a zine, The DIY Guide has seen several changes with each new edition. It is now available as a perfect bound book.[21] In May 2013, Gnade's recently recorded record, entitled AMERICANS, was released by the UK label Blessing Force.[22]

In September 2013, Punch Drunk Press released Gnade's latest EP, Greater Mythology Blues, recorded in Atlanta, Georgia with the help of his backing band, The Hot Earth All-Stars, featuring members of Brunch, Under White Pines, and Sydney Eloise and Palms. The record was released the following August.

In December 2013, Gnade's second novel, Caveworld was released Pioneers Press via its literary imprint Punch Drunk Press[23] following a UK, including a series of All Tomorrow's Parties festival dates, with the temporarily reunited Youthmovies. In January 2014, it was announced that his Do It Yourself Guide to Fighting the Big Motherf**kin' Sad was Powell's Books #1 bestseller in the small press section. 2014 saw the release of three new chapbooks, two new printings of Do It Yourself Guide to Fighting the Big Motherf**kin' Sad, and a month-long book tour.

In early 2015 Powell's Books small press section buyer Kevin Sampsell announced that Gnade's Do It Yourself Guide to Fighting the Big Motherf**kin' Sad was the store's small press bestseller for 2014, an honor it was awarded with in 2013 as well. Winter and spring 2015 a 5th printing of the aforementioned book as well as releases of the chapbook series My Brain Was A Shark Eating Itself volumes 1 to 6 (as well as an e-book edition) and the chapbook And In My Dreams You're Alive and You're Crying.

In January of 2016 it was announced that Gnade's Do It Yourself Guide to Fighting the Big Motherf**kin' Sad was once again the small press bestseller at Powell's Books in 2015, this being the third year in a row at the #1 spot. A sixth printing of the book happened in mid-January.

Name pronunciation

According to his website,[2] Gnade's surname is pronounced "guh nah dee."

Influences

Gnade has said in interviews and on his website that his music is influenced by Neutral Milk Hotel,[24] Joanna Newsom,[25] noise recordings,[26] field recordings,[26] and old country music.[27] In interviews he has said that his writing is influenced by William Faulkner,[28] Saul Bellow,[27] James Joyce,[29] Ernest Hemingway,[30] and Roberto Bolano.[30]

Tour

Gnade tours regularly and generally plays solo or backed by a band.[31] Recent tour-mates have included Youthmovies, Jonquil, Blood Red Shoes, Eugene McGuinness, Blanket, and House of Brothers. He has performed on bills and festivals with Calvin Johnson, Starf*****, F**k Buttons, Angelo Spencer Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Television, Tortoise, Mum, Les Savy Fav, Pharmakon, Har Mar Superstar, Wolf Eyes, Dinosaur Jr., Scout Niblett, Castanets, Levon Helm, Dark Hills, Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters, Under White Pines, Sydney Eloise, Alana Amram, Virgin Forest, The Album Leaf, George Pringle, Foals, and many others.[32]

Discography, published works

Full-length albums

EPs

Split albums and collaborative albums

Singles

Cassettes

Compilations and miscellaneous appearances

Books, chapbooks

References

  1. ↑ Location info at www.adamgnade.com
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Adam Gnade - Biography". adamgnade.com. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Adam Gnade - Northern Cross". adamgnade.com. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  4. ↑ Discography for Adam Gnade at AllMusic
  5. ↑ Hopkin, Kenyon. Biography of Adam Gnade at AllMusic. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  6. ↑ "Faux Hoax Your Friends Will Carry You Home". Polyvinyl Records. May 19, 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Making Of A Record: Adam Gnade’s Trailerparks". The 405. October 29, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2015. C1 control character in |title= at position 32 (help)
  8. 1 2 "Adam Gnade". We Love You So. May 11, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Adam Gnade - The Darkness To The West". The 405. April 29, 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Youthmovies return". Music News. November 5, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Huge Blog Roundup! Thermals! Alela Diane! Adam Gnade! Masterbation?". February 25, 2009. Retrieved April 18, 2015./
  12. ↑ "The Wild Homesick". Bandcamp. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Adam Gnade". Willamette Week. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Hello America". Bandcamp. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Adam Gnade Announces New Release". The 405. January 21, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Farmhouses, Tour Vans, and the Wild Homesick (32-song rare and out-of-print tracks box-set)". Bandcamp. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  17. 1 2 http://adamgnade.bigcartel.com/product/hey-hey-lonesome-novella
  18. ↑ announced http://lungsdirtanddreams.com/
  19. ↑ "Make Things With Your Hands To Show What's Inside You". Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  20. 1 2 http://www.adamgnade.bigcartel.com/product/adam-gnade-the-growling-mouth-novella
  21. ↑ http://news.adamgnade.com/post/51344385129/life-aint-so-shitty
  22. ↑ http://news.adamgnade.com/post/52163870870/adam-gnade-the-hot-earth-all-stars-americans-ep
  23. ↑ http://news.adamgnade.com/post/69020135884/out-now-the-new-novel-by-adam-gnade-caveworld
  24. ↑ http://thefourohfive.com/articles/1940
  25. ↑ http://drownedinsound.com/directory/artists/Adam_Gnade
  26. 1 2 http://adamgnade.wordpress.com/bio/
  27. 1 2 http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/announcements/3003288
  28. ↑ http://sidebar.asthmatickitty.com/archives/2566
  29. ↑ http://news.adamgnade.com/post/2050782943/gifts-and-dreams-in-the-pre-winter
  30. 1 2 http://microcosmpublishing.com/blogifesto/2011/08/country-grammar-episode-five-meet-adam-gnade
  31. ↑ http://www.adamgnade.com/biography
  32. ↑ http://www.atpfestival.com/newsview/1311051014.php
  33. ↑ Record release date cited http://news.adamgnade.com/post/680894594/coming-tuesday-june-15
  34. ↑ http://greydayproductions.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&cPath=1_59&products_id=219
  35. ↑ http://www.adamgnade.bigcartel.com/product/pre-order-the-heat-and-the-hot-earth-novella
  36. ↑ http://doublesuns.bigcartel.com/product/collaboration-1-adam-gnade
  37. ↑ "The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Fighting the Big Motherfuckin' Sad: The Book". Pioneers Press.

External links

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