Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Adam Gnade is a San Diego, California-born American musician and author currently living on a farm in rural Kansas. In his bio he defines his music as "talking-songs", which he describes as mixing the spoken vocals of talking blues songs with country music, Appalachian folk, noise, psychedelic folk and drone music influences. His work is issued as a series of records and books, which continue the stories of each others characters and further develop plot-lines. Considered a regionalist writer, he writes mostly about San Diego, a bordertown city in Southern California, namely the area around the US/Mexico border, though many of his stories take place to the south of San Diego in the city of Tijuana, Mexico. Gnade also writes stories that take places across the continental US but according to interviews he's done these stories always reflect the Californian's experience on the road.
History
In late 2005, Gnade signed to the California-based Loud + Clear Records, toured the US, and issued Run Hide Retreat Surrender, his first official full-length record after a series of self-released, extremely limited edition CDs and cassettes.
In 2006, he issued a set of limited run experimental albums (We Are Ghosts and Bones Down Stone-Walled Wells and the CD single) expanding on his "talking songs" idea before signing a UK label deal with Drowned in Sound (also home to collaborators Youthmovies). Drowned in Sound released Gnade's EP Shout the Rafters Down! in Nov of 2006, after which he toured Europe in support of the record, alongside Oxford, England's Youthmovies and Brighton's Blood Red Shoes.
Gnade also recorded a "talking song"-style track with Faux-Hoax in mid-2006, a side project band featuring Dave Allen, the bass guitar player of the 1970s British post-punk band Gang of Four, John Askew from Oregon indie rock group Tracker, and Danny Seim of Menomena and Lackthereof. The track, "Your Friends Will Carry You Home," was released on a 7" of the same name by Polyvinyl Record Co. in May 2009. The 7" also features members of Portland, Oregon's Modest Mouse and 31 Knots.
Recent U.S., European, Mexican, Canadian, and United Kingdom radio singles include "Hymn California," "Honey Slides," "Dance to the War," "The Winter/Their Apartment," "Room for Three and the Bayou Summer," "Palaces," "Lanterns, Rakes, and Shovels," "We're Unknowing in the Crosshairs," "The Old Lover," "Snake Lore," "It's Five O'Clock in America," "We Must Come Home Again," and "We Live Nowhere and Know No One."
2007 saw a two-month US tour, a five-week tour of England and Scotland (alongside Youthmovies, Jonquil, House of Brothers, Blanket, and Eugene McGuinness), and the release of Honey Slides, a collaborative EP with Youthmovies on the Try Harder Records label. There was also a tour-only novella, entitled Seasons Loving Nothing, that was available on the UK dates. As of December, 2008, Gnade requested that Seasons Loving Nothing be taken out of print following its fourth printing.
His next full-length, Trailerparks, was released by Try Harder Records as a limited-edition, tour-only pressing in late 2008 in time for a three-week tour of Europe with Youthmovies.
In September 2008, DutchMoney Books released a novel of Gnade's writing that continues the stories of the albums' characters. It is called Hymn California. A novella of connected material entitled The Darkness to the West was released in December 2008 via Punch Drunk Press.
In November, the experimental label Blast First (Petite) released a Youthmovies EP entitled Polyp which features Gnade contributing lead vocals to two tracks, "Sad Trash" and "Become an Island" which also features contributions from Joe Shrewsbury from 65DaysofStatic and Hugo Manuel of Jonquil. The resulting tour in November 2008 featuring both acts was called the Polyp Tour.
On February 22, 2009, Gnade announced the release of a new EP. Island's Islands will be released on cassette and limited to just 100 copies. On his website Gnade revealed that each copy of the EP would be recorded separately and each would be completely different. Gnade's next record The Wild Homesick was released in May 2009 on the Punch Drunk Press label.
In July and August 2009 Gnade joined the Van's Warped Tour as a book tour along with Microcosm Publishing. His tour diaries were published on the Asthmatic Kitty Records website and by the Willamette Week newspaper.
In August 2009, Punch Drunk Press, released a three-way split CD album featuring his songs and the songs of Ohioan and COASTS. It is called Hello America!
Live and on these newer recordings Gnade plays a four-string guitar he rebuilt and modified to play in the tuning of F, A sharp, D, F.
In January 2010, a new cassette EP, Surrenderland, was released by Punch Drunk Press.
In March 2010 he toured with Youthmovies as their support act on their final tour and then turned to England for shows with Calvin Johnson and Fixers.
In November, 2010, he announced via his website, adamgnade.com, that his second novel was finished. He stated that it would be read (and edited) by someone else and that after that he would be looking for a literary agent to handle the search for publishers.
On January 31, 2010 he announced the release of a collection of rare tracks, From Farmhouses to Tour Vans.
In 2011, Gnade released three novellas. California was released by Double Suns studio and The Heat and the Hot Earth and Hey Hey Lonesome were released by Punch Drunk Press. In August, 2011 it was announced via the Lungs, Dirt, and Dreams website as well as via assorted media outlets that Gnade would be touring alongside Atlanta experimental country band Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters. On Gnade's website he announced there would be a special tour-only cassette featuring both acts as well as a split cassette featuring folksinger Megan Michelle.
In May 2012, Gnade announced the completion of a new record, titled AMERICANS, and a new band, Adam Gnade and The Hot Earth All-Stars, featuring members of Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters. He has said the record is a connected piece with his new unpublished novel, Youth Is a Wolf Dark and Golden.
Name pronunciation
According to his website, Gnade's surname is pronounced "guh nah dee."
Influences
Gnade has said in interviews and on his website that his music is influenced by Neutral Milk Hotel, Joanna Newsom, noise recordings, field recordings, and old country music. In interviews he has said that his writing is influenced by William Faulkner, Saul Bellow, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, and Roberto Bolano.
Tour
Gnade tours regularly and generally plays solo or backed by a band. Recent tour-mates have included Youthmovies, Jonquil, Blood Red Shoes, Eugene McGuinness, Blanket, and House of Brothers. He has performed on bills and festivals with Calvin Johnson, Starf*****, F**k Buttons, Angelo Spencer, Castanets, Levon Helm, Dark Hills, Damon Moon and the Whispering Drifters, Under White Pines, Sydney Eloise, Alana Amram, Virgin Forest, The Album Leaf, George Pringle, Foals, and many others.
