In this interview spotlight, we chat with members of PADAMN! about their latest project, influences, the digital music age and more.
Full Q&A along with links and a stream of Can’t Throw A Party below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
Anthony A.: We’re from the Nashville area. Our music, to me, is a mix of our various influences. Mostly 90’s style alt rock… with a splash of Nashville and some funky elements mixed in.
Anthony S: (The Anthony’s) tend to lean towards harder edged music, I think, and Adam brings more musical sensibility…or tries to at least.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
Anthony A.: I think what has led us down this path, musically, is that we’re open to taking on each other’s ideas. As long as we collectively feel like a song, or riff is something we enjoy working on; we just roll with it.
Adam: This style of music is the only genre the three of us mutually like. When fans of our music say they like a certain song or chorus,that’s pretty motivating to keep writing and performing.
Anthony S.: We’re old guys now. We’re not making music trying to stay on top of some trend to get famous. We play what we like and hope people who listen and see us like it too.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
Adam: We wanted to get all the songs we’ve been playing for the last five years in one place.
Anthony A.: This was our first release, actually. I think we just set out to get some of our favorite songs recorded and have something to share with our audience. Several of our songs seem to transcend different genres, and I think that’s just overall a good representation of who we are. The three of us bring several different influences to the table and we let that show in our collaborations together.
Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?
Anthony A.: I think the biggest challenge of being an indie musician in the digital age is that it’s becoming more and more difficult for the audience to follow all of their favorite artists. Social media changes where a person’s feed are altered and filtered doesn’t always help, either.
Adam: I guess it’s harder to actually get people to leave their warm homes and go out to a club and see us….there are so many creature comforts in today’s age that make coming out a little more challenging.
Anthony S.: I mean, technology is a double edged sword, right? Back when I was young it was hard to hear more of what you liked…you really had to look hard. Now, with how relatively easy it can be for artists to record and share their work, it can be frustrating to see how many choices you have. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle.
Anything else before we sign off?
Anthony S.: Yeah, we’re all really fortunate to live where we do. In Nashville there’s just so much opportunity to be heard. We’re really proud of the work we’ve done and so stoked to be able to actually play in front of audiences in Nashville. Padamn! is proof that working stiffs who love music and performing it live can do that and still pay bills. I know everyone wants to be famous, but there’s a story out there of bands like Padamn! who are doing it for the love of it, and Nashville makes it possible to be successful doing just that. It’s pretty awesome.