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Who’s New: Justin Adams

by Jim Casey | @TheJimCasey | May 1, 2018

Born: Tulsa, Okla.
Lives: Nashville
Single: “How It Rolls”
EP: Horizon
Twitter: @JustinAdamsCtry
Instagram: @JustinAdamsCountry
Facebook: JustinAdamsCountry

Tulsa-to-Nashville transport Justin Adams will drop his sophomore EP, Horizon, on May 11. The eight-song offering, which was produced by guitar virtuoso Derek Wells, features new single, “How It Rolls,” a tune co-penned by Eric Arjes and Old Dominion’s Brad Tursi.

Where did you get your love of music?

I’ve always loved music, and I love all different types of music. I grew up listening to whatever was playing on the radio in the car. I was raised in Oklahoma, and there was a lot of great country music, rock, blues and soul.

At what age did you realize you wanted to make music your career?

My uncle gave me a guitar when I was 12. I saw this old, beat-up, flat-top, six-string guitar just sitting in his garage with no case. It was just collecting dust. I was immediately drawn to it, so I asked if I could have it. I was hooked from the start. I wanted to be an entertainer.

Who are some of your musical influences?

I draw influences from so many different great artists and bands, including Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, George Strait, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam, Don Williams, Aerosmith, Queen, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Otis Redding, Bob Seger, Joe Cocker, Journey and more.

What three words describe you as a musician?

Passionate. Energy. Entertainer.

What would you say is unique about your sound?

There’s a genuine authenticity to my sound. My songs are every part of who I am. I live and breathe what I write and record. The second I step on a stage, I pour out that emotion and energy.

When did you move to Nashville?

I moved to Nashville in July 2010. I thought I was a pretty good singer/songwriter until I went to my first show at the Bluebird Cafe. After that, I knew I had to get to work! Everybody in this town is so talented. I moved to Nashville because it’s the country music capital of the world, and if I wanted to do this for a living at the level I wanted, I had to make the move.

What does your new single,,”How It Rolls,” say about you as an artist?

There was a familiar nostalgia I felt when I first heard this song. My dear friend Eric Arjes—who is a co-writer with Brad Tursi on this song—played it for me one day at his home studio and it just hit me. I immediately dreamed of performing it live, and I was hooked after the very first chorus. As an artist, I love songs that have great lyrics and melody and feel, and this song has every single one of those in it. It reminds me of home.

You’ve had the opportunity to share the stage with everyone from Tracy Lawrence and Craig Morgan to Dan + Shay and Dustin Lynch. What did you learn from those artists that’s helping you today as you perform for country crowds?

I’ve been very fortunate to get to open for some amazing artists in incredible venues across the country. Each one of those artists is there for a reason. It’s no accident they sell out shows everywhere they go. I loved sitting side-stage during their sets and watching them do their thing as performers. I ran into Tracy Lawrence last week in Nashville. He told me that he’s about to do another long tour run—I love that. The guy’s been doing it for decades and still has the passion for the stage and burning down highway miles. That is so awesome and inspiring to me. I can only hope to have a career like that.

You’re releasing your sophomore EP, Horizon, on May 11. What can we expect from the new record?

It’s been a few years since I’ve released music, so I’m so excited to get this music out there. It’s high-energy, country-rocking tempo, but there’s also love and loss and hope and life in these songs. It’s windows down, backroads, nights with your girl, nights alone, summertime good feelings and everything in between. We worked so hard writing and listening to thousands of songs for this. I’m so proud of these songs, and producer Derek Wells did a phenomenal job shaping the sound of this project and making it unique to me and my sound as an artist. Horizon is who I am, and I cannot wait to get out and perform this for y’all on the road!