Adam Chaffins is what you’d call a rambler, of sorts. He lives his life to the fullest traveling and playing music with whoever, whenever he can. Touring for long periods can make or break an artist. It can wear you down and tarnish the music lifestyle you once loved-not Chaffins though, he’s addicted to the road.
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Chaffins is an indie artist from eastern Kentucky, who cut his teeth on the road as the definition of a touring musician. Chaffins’ music embraces every kind of style from country and folk to pop and rock. He really makes an effort to not limit himself or his songwriting, which was a primary appeal for him going solo.
After years of touring and playing bass for bluegrass bands The Deadly Gentlemen and Town Mountain in addition to significant amounts of sessions and studio work, Chaffins knew it was time to do music the way he wanted and craft his own sound.
“Going solo is something I always wanted to do,” Chaffins told American Songwriter. “I loved being in a band, having a collective thing, but it takes a lot of work. Time had gone by and I had my opportunities with that. Creating a new sound as a bass player and someone who plays different instruments, is always something I’ve wanted to do. I wanted to make music without restrictions. “
“The record is almost a summary of my twenties,” he said. “Every two years my landscape drastically changed with a lot of tours, relationships, bands and other scenarios. It was about trying to establish yourself as an artist and musician.”
Chaffins’ journey to self-expression started with a friendship with producer Ethan Ballinger. Chaffins recalls the moment the two came together to start his project explaining it was very organic and there was a real conversation between the two while casually hanging out.
“We were hanging out one day and Ethan said ‘I’d love to make a record with you, let’s see what we can put together’ and that led to working with engineer Brandon Bell and two years of on and off recording at Nashville’s Southern Ground studio” said Chaffins.
“I wrote a lot my songs in public, driving, or just sitting around playing bass, it’s just whenever things happen,” he said. “A progression or melody might happen and I try to capture it. It usually takes me forever to write songs. I didn’t force anything.”
What comes forth nearly three years later, is Chaffins’ first solo project and debut record Some Things Won’t Last. The record is a fresh mix of songs packaged with other material took from Chaffins’ vault from years of songwriting, a tribute track, a writing collaboration and a vocal feature with Aubrie Sellers. The current single titled “Who I Am” is what Chaffins described as “a marquee piece in the album,” explaining that it summed up the album’s tone and story, while also highlighting the co-writing experience with songwriter Jerry Salley.
“I met Jerry at a SEASAC awards show and I was familiar with the work he had done and thought it would be a great opportunity to write together,” said Chaffins. “Jerry was around in the time of such great nineties country. He’s such a professional and so skilled at what he does. It was great to work with him and be able to structure everything the way I wanted it. It took a couple sessions to write, it was pretty heavy.”
Paralleling the intensity and heavy-hearted slant of “Who I Am” is Chaffins rendition of “I’m Over You,” a song made popular by Keith Whitley in 1990, originally written by Tim Nichols and Zach Turner. Chaffins took the nineties classic country style the song was performed in and gave it a modern folk spin, with intimate vocals, swelling string arrangements and revamped guitar tones, placing it in modern style.
As a diversified musician, Chaffins brings a completely different sound on “Making it Known,” an upbeat, fun song with fuzzy bass tones and outspoken, in-your-face lyrics.
“I definitely experimented and pushed things with ‘Making it Known,’ said Chaffins. “But I don’t have any formula, I usually know a song when it comes and if I can expand on it. I had made attempts to record an album before, but I didn’t feel like it was what I wanted to say. But this record from the get go was something I knew was right. We really just wanted to serve the songs as best possible and not limit ourselves.”
At the completion of the nine-track project, Chaffins looks back on the experience calling it almost “therapeutic.” With his first full-length record under his belt, he is ready to return to his home away from Nashville, the ever-winding road to tour and share his sound.
“When I am on stage is the only real time when I feel like the weight has been lifted, it’s joy and fulfillment,” said Chaffins. “I’m looking forward to it and ready to progress beyond this experience and take what I’ve learned from this album and do it better the next time.”
