(Editor’s Note — A year after releasing his first song as a solo artist, Adam Putzer, former guitarist for The Tins and now performing as asalone, is back at work creating new music. In between recording at Mammoth Recording Studio — (owned and operated by Mike Santillo and Justin Smith of The Tins) — and preparing for his upcoming show June 30 at Evening Star Concert Hall in Niagara Falls, Adam was nice enough to speak with 1120 Press about his music: past, present and future. — Photo by Lexi Tamrwoski .... To keep up on all Adam is doing, you can follow asalonemusic at: TikTok HERE, Instagram HERE and Facebook HERE.)
1120PRESS: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. A year ago you released your debut single, ‘Slipping,’ and now you are back at work in the studio. Can you tell us what you have in the works, what we might be able to expect and how it’s going?
asalone: Thanks for reaching out to talk to me! Right now I’m working on a new single, hopefully to be followed up by some more tunes. Work has been stop and go, but smooth when I’ve had the time to focus.
1120: We’re wondering, from a creative standpoint, what’s the experience like for you, personally, recording as a solo artist as opposed to recording with The Tins. Is there any noticeable difference that stands out to you, and do you find it liberating or daunting or both or something else…?
asalone: It’s a little bit of both. It’s certainly liberating, in the sense that I make all the decisions and call the shots. I write the songs, as well as choose which tunes I want to cover when I play live, and I don’t have to make my case about why I should. It’s also been daunting because I’ve only ever played music with The Tins before this, so stepping out on my own required me to get over a lot of fear and hang ups I had about my own talent and abilities, not to mention all the groundwork like booking and promotion that I only had to do a part of before.
1120 What is it like for you as a solo artist working in the studio with Justin, your bandmate in The Tins (and head engineer at Mammoth)? Given the sort of artistic and collaborative history — as well as personal relationship — that you have with him, how does that influence/impact things for you in the studio?
asalone: Well, of anyone in the band, Justin and I had the most easygoing relationship. He came into the band later on, so there wasn’t as much history and other complicating factors when it came to working together. Justin is very laid back, and he knows my process, so he has a feel for when to let me go and when to chime in. I have all final say in the finished product though, and he respects that.
1120: In a social post back in April you marked the fact that it was a year since playing your first show as asalone. And in that post you said you had been “reluctant” to start playing music again. How do you feel now? Has that uncertainty dissipated?
asalone: I think I’m at a point where I’ve made peace with the past and look forward to the future. When The Tins decided to stop being a going concern, I felt pretty lost. I based my life around the band, so coming to terms with its ending took a lot of time and reflection. I decided to take an extended break and focus on getting my life together. Of course, this happened during the pandemic, which wasn’t good for anyone’s mental health. A lot of time to twiddle my thumbs and dwell on the negatives. A lot of personal upheaval happened during that time, and in the end I decided music wasn’t just something I did with those guys to tour and make money; it was something I loved and needed to learn to love again. Going out and playing songs that mattered to me, whether I wrote them or just loved playing them, reconnected me to a piece of myself I had lost sight of.
1120: Are you a different artist — and if so, in what way — due to what you’ve been thru?
asalone: Most definitely. I don’t feel the need to hide behind flowery language or nonsensical imagery to mask my emotions anymore. There’s no point in being dishonest. Imagery is useful, but the emotional truth is more important than impressive vocabulary. When you’re in a band, you don’t just represent yourself, it’s all part of a group image. In that way, I didn’t feel comfortable saying certain things because I didn’t think the others wanted that to reflect who they were. I don’t have to worry about that now.
1120: You also joked on social media that you plan to do “more than one song a year moving forward…” How is the writing process going these days compared to that period when you were feeling unsure about playing?
asalone: My process is very stop and go still, but I do have like 20 or 30 pieces in various states of completion to pull from. I’ve never been prolific as a songwriter, but I come up with little pieces fast, and find a way to put the puzzle together eventually. I do have at least a few more songs that I think are nearly ready to be taken into the studio. I’m slow to get started, but once I settle on how it goes, I’m very quick to finish.
1120: You have a big show coming up June 30. Is there anything you’d like to say about it?
asalone: I’m opening for SayWeCanFly at Evening Star Concert Hall, and I’m very excited for it. It’s going to be a great opportunity to get in front of a large audience and show them what I can do. Since last year I’ve done about 60 shows, so I’ve been putting in the work to get a good thing going. Hopefully it’s another step towards establishing asalone as a worthy project.
1120: Is there any news on The Tins front?
asalone: The indefinite hiatus is still ongoing, but we remain friends, and you never know if we may decide to do something.
1120: Is there anything you’d like to add that we haven’t touched on?
asalone: I just want to say thanks for featuring me and listening to me ramble. I’ll have details on the next asalone song very, very soon. And don’t forget to listen to “Slipping,” which I put out last year and still think is a really cool sound. And follow me at asalonemusic on most socials.