"Different Times" by Adam Brookes

Adam Brookes

Originally born in Los Angeles, CA, Brookes began seriously writing and recording music in San Francisco around 1999 with a collection of cheap used instruments and a four-track Tascam cassette recorder in the closet of his creaky old apartment.

After several short-lived projects he formed indie pop rock band Dangermaker, and music quickly went from pastime to obsession as he dealt with the sudden death of his father during the first week of tracking their debut album. 

The experience plunged him further into his art with a sense of urgency, eventually emerging with a euphoric sound that defines Dangermaker's releases on Breakup Records.

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Different Times

Zusammen mit Compa Cut brachte er letztes Jahr den Track "Lonely Life" auf den Markt, jetzt, sprich heute, veröffentlicht er "Different Times". Er, das ist Adam Brookes aus San Francisco, seines Zeichen großartiger Musiker wie auch Singer und Songwriter, mit der Gabe ausgestattet, zeitlose Stück zu schreiben. 

Die Inspiration, die sich ändernden Zeiten und deren Auswirkung. Ein wichtiger Punkt natürlich die Rolle des „Vater-Werdens“, ein immenser Einschnitt, die Änderung gewaltig, alles fühlt sich anders an, Prioritäten ändern sich, selbst Dinge die immer demselben "Rhythmus" unterworfen waren, sieht man plötzlich aus einer anderen Perspektive. Großes Thema in den letzten zwei Jahren selbstverständlich die Pandemie, die vieles in andere Richtungen lenkte. All diese Aspekte des Lebens verarbeitet er in seinem neuen Release "Different Times". 

Musikalisch etwas minimalistischer angelegt, wie er selbst sagt, ist der Track, wie ich finde, dennoch in der Lage eine perfekte Synergie zwischen den Einzelkomponenten, sprich Instrumenten, Sounds und Vocals zu schaffen. 

Gitarre und Vocals die Hauptakteure, nicht nebeneinander sondern miteinander prägen sie den Song. Während man noch nachdenkt welcher der beiden Protagonisten einem besser gefällt, sorgen die Sounds bzw. gekonnt eingesetzte Effekte im Background, sowie die gesamte Rhythmusabteilung dafür, das "Different Times" ein perfektes Stück Musik, mit dem Prädikat äußerst hörenswert, wird. Different times create different songs and sometimes a perfect song, thanks a lot Adam Brookes!

Q&A

Adam Brookes is...?

I am a San Francisco based songwriter & producer passionate about making music. I have been active in the Bay Area music scene and beyond for 2 decades producing, recording & managing projects in professional studios, composing licensing work from scores to content for The North Face, as well as performing with Dangermaker and self-producing my own music as Adam Brookes.

Who inspired you to make music in general?

That’s a tough question. Lots of artists and my life’s course in general, and it keeps changing and evolving. Early on, I was originally born in Los Angeles to a slightly unorthodox family. I started playing classical violin around age seven or so in school. 

Around 11 my father recognized that I had more of a passion for guitar based music - all the classic butt rock like AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen, etc - and drove me down to a pawnshop in LA and bought a cheap Fender knockoff guitar for $100 or so. I played that thing to death, and after that always played music and wrote journals growing up, thinking back it was probably self therapy. I think it was through that practice that I accidentally became a songwriter. 

After moving to San Francisco in the late 90’s I began seriously writing and recording music with a collection of cheap instruments some of which I found, an old mic my dad stole from the oldies radio station he worked at in LA, and a four-track Tascam cassette recorder I set up in the closet of my apartment. I had to play quiet and sing soft because the walls were thin, I think that may have led to my current vocal style today. I was heavily into artists like The Verve, Oasis, & Wilco then, as well as the explosion of electronic music at the time. 

I was laid off from a journalism job and chose to take unemployment as long as I could to write and record a bunch of song ideas I had accumulated. After a few failed projects I formed my band Dangermaker, drawing on modern pop & rock such as Phoenix, The Wombats, & Anberlin, which I recently walked away from after 10 years to focus more on a new solo electronic pop project. I’m not sure if I answered the question, but that’s my story.

Your latest track "Different Times" sounds impressively timeless, what's the story behind it respectively what was your inspiration? ... I have also read something about a solo LP release, if this is correct, what can we expect?

The initial inspiration for Different Times came to me a couple years ago in San Francisco where I live. I had recently walked away from my band Dangermaker of ten years like I said, my son had just been born and I was reevaluating what was important to me in life. I felt like I was becoming a different person, which I was in a way. At the same time the city around me felt different too, like things had changed, the people living here had changed, the scene had changed. I found myself saying the phrase “different times” a lot actually when talking about it, because it is different now. Those themes pop up in a lot of my new solo songs, change and navigating through it. 

Then Covid happened and things REALLY changed drastically of course. For me it started right when I finally felt like my head was above water from the new parent experience, and it felt like a giant wave knocked me under again for two years. I am just recently feeling like my head is above water again, treading water and starting to move in some direction.

Musically over the past few years I’ve gravitated to more ethereal, refined sounding songs, drawing less on angry alternative rock and more electronic pop elements that take you on a journey. Artists like The War on Drugs, Glass Animals, Tame Impala & Roosevelt are current influences, mixed with more classic ones like Daft Punk, Gorillaz, & even Steely Dan & Fleetwood Mac. Something old and something new. 

Rhodes piano features a lot in my new material for example, often combined with electronic drums and synth bass. I am putting the finishing touches on a debut solo LP I hope to release later this year, as long as I can stay afloat…

What is your creative process like?

“No input, no output” Joe Strummer said. I totally agree. Creatively I try to expose myself to as much as possible, mix it all up and inevitably something comes out. It’s not always good, but self-critique comes later. The key for me is to document everything, record ideas into my phone, write down lyric phrases, make notes about a tone/instrument/arrangement/reference song that I like and why. 

Then when I’m in the right state of mind I listen and look back on it all and see what excites me. Then the most important step, deciding on arrangement and what production direction or genre I want to go in. I have a private studio I record and demo ideas in, so I can really spend time developing a new song idea, and more or less fully realize it before other musicians are involved. Then I either continue producing solo as I have lately, or bring in others if desired.

If you would have the chance to create your "Super-Group", who would be the members/musicians?

To be honest lately I’ve preferred writing alone on my time. Before Covid I was producing music that way and then seeing who was available to play live or record and putting together the best version of that, which included Dan Caporale on drums (Strange Cities), Sabrina Simonton on synths (TREASVRE, Ponyskull), and some guest SF Bay Area vocalists & MCs - Leanne Kelly (New Spell), Enon Gaines, Najee Amaranth, & Compa Cut so far. 

But if we’re talking like silly dream famous artists to play with, let’s go with Thomas Bangalter from Daft Punk and Jean-Michel Jarre on synths, Martin Gore from Depeche Mode on guitar, Stewart Copeland on drums, Jaime XX on electronic drums & stuff, Enya for female vocals, and 6LACK for rap vocals. How’s that?

At this moment what would be your "All time Top 3 Songs"?

If I’m being honest “Something About Us” by Daft Punk, “Pain” by The War on Drugs, and “Hey Nineteen” by Steely Dan. Definitely in my top streamed songs recently.

What's your most useful talent besides music?

I guess that would be design. I’ve been a graphic artist & designer for 20 years. Among other things I’ve done all of my own album art and band art, comes in handy. I’ve enjoyed working on other peoples projects too, I’m currently helping design Julian Lennon’s new album art for example. 

Aside from that I worked as an omelette chef in college for a while, I can flip an entire 3 egg omelette in the air and not spill anything. Not so much useful as just impressive if I do say so myself.

Do you remember your first ever self-written song?

Yeah it was probably a Jane’s Addiction ripoff in the late 80’s. I don’t think it had a name. I was a kid in a garage band with friends called SAVAGE. I’m sure it was awful. Don’t worry you’ll never hear it haha.

What’s next for you?

Two years ago I had big plans to finish up a debut solo album, perform live with my new project, get things rolling you know. That’s my ultimate music goal right now. I have also done some producing and remixing for other artists and would love to do more of that. 

I really just want to get the ball rolling again, feels like I’ve been waiting around treading water for ever.

Photo credits: Reid McNally

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