Just before soundchecking for their show at the Bluebird Cafe, Adeem the Artist shared a stunning performance of “Lake Marie” and spoke with us about the influence John Prine has had on their songwriting over the years-from the first time they heard a Prine tune while learning to play guitar from some Appalachian pickers at a public library in Central New York to the time they went through Prine’s entire discography and realized he’s “one of the best songwriters” and how “Lake Marie” is a masterclass in songwriting.
“The first time he made me laugh and then cry in a song, I was like, he’s touching at something I’m dancing around, like, we’re playing in the same sandbox,” Adeem said while tracking through the impression Prine has left on their work and the way they similarly are able to reckon with the widest range of emotions in just a handful a few minutes. “He had such a better grasp on a lot than I did-I mean, he was definitely a major instructor of my craft.”
Looking at the ways standup comedy has also informed their craft, Adeem spoke to how humor can be used to process trauma. "When things are really hard you find a way to laugh about it," they said, sharing that comedy plays a large role on stage, from the Bluebird in Nashville to everywhere they’ve toured outside of Tennessee.
Adeem also shared an incredible rendition of “Painkillers & Magic,” which will appear-whole and holy-in a forthcoming Contrary Western session that covers everything from “White Trash Revelry” to the literary influences Adeem has drawn from and the ways in which they’ve reckoned with and realized their story and the stories they share about where they’re from.
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CREDITS
Director of Photography: Noah Cordell
Color and Photography by Emma Delevante
Recorded and Mixed by Luke Wiget
Edited by Sam Farahmand
Directed & Produced by Contrary Western in Nashville, Tennessee