Adeem the Artist will release their upcoming full-length Anniversary on May 3rd. Today, American Songwriter is proud to premiere the latest sample from the forthcoming collection. Watch the official video for “Socialite Blues” below.
Videos by American Songwriter
In “Socialite Blues,” Adeem the Artist combines a classic Piedmont Blues chord progression with a lively New Orleans-style horn section to create the kind of sound that is bound to make listeners sway along with the rhythm and tap their feet.
Lyrically, this song celebrates the virtues of staying in, listening to good tunes, and recharging one’s social battery with someone special. Adeem’s smooth vocals combined with the bluesy backdrop make this song nearly perfect for just such an occasion.
About the song, Adeem the Artist exclusively told American Songwriter that they “Found these Blind Boy Fuller records hidden under a loose floorboard in the back closet at my grandfather’s house.” They then used those records as the blueprint for this tune. “Took them chords and played ‘em like a 7 at 33 and wrote a song about pining for all the parties getting canceled,” they explained.
Adeem the Artist Wrestled with the Decision to Cut “Socialite Blues”
As a white person, Adeem the Artist was apprehensive to cut a song so deeply rooted in Piedmont Blues. However, in a track-by-track breakdown of Anniversary, they explained what made them decide to go through with it.
“It’s wild to listen to some of the early country vs Piedmont blues stuff and how much race is used to draw red lines around genre access,” they said. “That made me feel unsure about exploring the genre more but, honestly, the lower Piedmont is where my family ended up when they come over and so I’ve been listening to a lot of it more and more,” they added. They’re trying to “plug into some sense of sonic ancestry in the region.”
Anniversary Tracklist
- “There We Are”
- “Nancy”
- “Part & Parcel”
- “One Night Stand”
- “Nightmare”
- “Wounded Astronaut”
- “Carry You Down”
- “Socialite Blues”
- “Rotations”
- “Plot of Land”
- “Night Sweats”
- “White Mule, Black Man”
Anniversary is out on May 3 via Thirty Tigers. Pre-order your copy today.
Featured Image by Hannah Bingham
