Adam Payne Adam Payne is my name.  I go by Adam Payne / 2ADAM12 as a stage name, since I do a lot of solo stuff under my own name, and the full band is called 2ADAM12.  I play guitar and sing lead vocals in the full band, and the same plus vocal/guitar loops & beatbox solo. Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself. Adam: WHO IS ADAM PAYNE? "Acoustic singer-songwriter Adam Payne...should appeal to fans of Ben Harper and newcomer Ryan Shaw. That means it's neo-soul with a jam band vibe..." -Boston Globe The problem with rising acoustic talents is that a lot of them sound the same; but there is no mistaking the sultry sounds of Adam Payne. With a smile and sound as big as his afro, Adam entertains full crowds with his fusion of Funk, R&B, Folk, and Acoustic. There's no denying his musical talents so the question is, who is he? Adam is about as eclectic as his sound. He was born in Lynn, Massachusetts to an Italian mother and African American father. In the late eighties, Adam and his family moved to Sarasota, Florida. By the age of 8, Adam drew his musical inspiration not from haughty music teachers, such as Mozart or Beethoven, but from Saturday morning cartoons, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario. Adam picked up the piano as he mimicked the music from cartoons and video games. During his senior year of High School he took on the drums, and later in college, he picked up the guitar. Although music is a major part of who he is, there's much more to him than that. Adam earned a B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Statistics and was a founding father of the Eta Psi chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at the University of Central Florida. He continued on to earn a M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Payne has shared the stage with artists ranging from the Avett Brothers to The Pharcyde as well as members of the Wu-Tang Clan.  He has collaborated with Artists all over the globe, and lends his writing, production and vocal talents to projects across many genres including producing and composing the music for a documentary film about the Rwandan Genocide entitled 'Coexist.' Adam is also active in the community, and supports a myriad of causes.  Payne is the founder of the Benefit for Jane, a cause which raises funds and awareness of Kidney Cancer in honor of his late mother and is sponsored by the Kidney Cancer Association.   On three separate occasions, Payne was featured on CBS Channel 4 Boston's 'Sundays with Liz Walker' and he was also generously recognized in the Boston Globe. In addition, Payne attended the MIDEM Music Conference in France on behalf of Sonicbids where he spoke on a panel about brands and their interest in independent artists. So who is Adam Payne? He'll make you dance, make you smile, and help you with your homework all in one day. He's the Northeast's resident father of Soul Rock and he's coming to a venue near you. -Amanda Crump. 2ADAM12 [Pronounced "TWO ADAM TWELVE"] 2ADAM12 represents the full band version of Adam Payne's songs with a backdrop of some of the Boston area's best musicians. "If the Meters and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers squared off in a petrie dish with Sam Cooke and Ben Harper as referees, they would form the multicellular organism known as 2ADAM12." "At the border which separates Funk from Rock, there sit 4 gents who come together and deliver a cross-section of something exciting, fresh, and nourishing to the ears. Their name is 2ADAM12..." R.E. Cheshire, CT "...2Adam12 brings the same kind of expertise to their music as the Neville Brothers. Which is to say, everything is focused around the groove, which is the paramount ingredient that makes all the other elements work..." -Jay Miller, The Patriot Ledger "The self-titled debut is a musical manifesto for the band's huge sound... The album features a slew of embellishments that brings each track to its highest level. From the chilling Hammond organ on "Passive Aggression" to the ultra-funky horn ensembles on the "If You Want to Love Me," the album utilizes every available tool to heighten the band's sound. While many tracks features guest spots from outside musicians, most of the band's complexity comes from its core." -Patrick Walsh, The Vanguard LB: How did you start out making music? Adam: Taken from Bio Above: By the age of 8, Adam drew his musical inspiration not from haughty music teachers, such as Mozart or Beethoven, but from Saturday morning cartoons, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mario. Adam picked up the piano as he mimicked the music from cartoons and video games. During his senior year of High School he took on the drums, and later in college, he picked up the guitar. To expand, I borrowed a family friend's keyboard when I was 8, and started mimicking sounds I heard on tv and in my head.  After being in chorus and the chamber choir in high school, music started to make a lot more sense to me, so I started composing my own songs.  I haven't stopped since!  In the early days, when I would record, I would play all the instruments straight into my Gateway computer.  Nothing really came about from that time period that I would be willing to share now, but I learned a lot about production and arrangements, which has been a huge benefit, especially with the production work I do now. LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now? Adam: The music blasting from the boombox we shared in my house was all over the place - The Boss, The Mamas and the Papas, Isaac Hayes, Melle Mel...I would say that the first music I heard that moved me in a way that would eventually lead me toward a career in music was U2's 'The Joshua Tree.'  So much feeling.  I wanted to write songs like that.  Vocally, my top influences have to be Marvin Gaye, Same Cooke, Donny Hathaway, and others from the 'AM Gold' Time Period.  Songwriting props have to go to Bill Withers, and America (the band).  I know, I'm all over the place!  I think all of these influences show up in my music, and will continue to do so as long as I am able to keep creating it. LB: Tell us about your latest release. Adam: The latest release is a single entitled 'Colder Now,'  which is about relying on one's will as the greatest asset to carry through times when 'the heat recedes' and entropy kicks in.  This song will be on the upcoming full-album release entitled 'Loose Ends.'  This album will also feature a previously released single called 'Chiclets in My Pocket,' which is a hip hop inspired ode to the tiny gum which has been a part of my life for a long time (and in my right pocket!).  Video for this song can be found here: I also recently released an album called 'The Quelling' (May 09).  13 track album which I produced and recorded.  Songs deal with using what is not good as a step towards what is. Other releases:  2ADAM12 (2007), Just Me (2006) Another recent release is a collaboration album entitled 'Soul Our System' where I wrote and recorded the choruses and some verses along with the Paranorml from California (MC) and Terem (Producer) from France.  This is available on iTunes, as are all of my other bodies of work. LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows? Adam: From Bio: These days, Adam can be found vibing out solo or with full band 2ADAM12.  His solo show is always entertaining, with Adam making up songs on the spot with words from the audience, doing on-the-fly guitar, vocal, and percussion loop arrangements, or simply delivering the message of an original tune or eclectic cover. The full band presents some of the finest players in the Greater Boston area, with pieces ranging from the standard four to the gargantuan eight. No matter the line-up, an Adam Payne show is surely one to remember. To add to this, I try to reserve a good number of songs for solo or full band shows.  Solo will have much more down-tempo, lyric-driven songs, while the full band is much more funk-induced, with the emphasis on the groove and musicianship of the other players. LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy? Adam: Playing live is still the best part of the music experience for me.  It's always interesting to feel out a crowd and try to deliver the best show possible.  I love interacting with the audience as well.  Recording the music I create is basically like playing with a new toy, in that it's a lot of fun to try new ideas, and attempt many different subtle changes to convey a message as close to your intent to do so as possible.  Working with other artists on collaborative efforts is also quite enjoyable. LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music? Adam: www.adampayne.biz (main website) www.myspace.com/ampayne BUY CDs HERE: http://cdbaby.com/all/phatad DOWNLOAD TRACKS HERE: www.itunes.com/adampayne/thequelling www.itunes.com/adampayne/chicletsinmypocket www.itunes.com/adampayne/justme www.itunes.com/2adam12 www.rhapsody.com/adampayne www.isound.com/adam_payne Thank you again for this opportunity!