Adam Wakefield

Adam Wakefield is a singer-songwriter who has secured his place in Nashville, TN, but is far from the typical artist one may expect to find in the Country Music Capital of the World.

Growing up in New Hampshire, Adam didn’t intend to become an artist. In fact, his original goal was to become a musician. He began to play piano when he was younger and in search of a hobby, especially one at which he believed he could excel. Adam’s intuitions were correct, and he continued to play piano until it was time to make a musical choice and hone in on a certain genre as a pianist. Rather than choosing the predictable classical route, the man who has become celebrated for his uniqueness in his artistry opted for jazz.

The desire to continue his piano-playing in the jazz circuit lasted about one year into college, and that was when Adam realized he wanted to make a larger contribution to music than the one he was destined to at that point. Striving for something more, he decided to join his brother, who was in Baltimore, and put together a band. While juggling a full time job in construction during the day and band practice at night, Adam was also carving out some time to sharpen his skills as a songwriter. Channeling an eclectic group of artists from Stevie Wonder to John Prine to Willie Nelson, Adam would allow whatever phase he was in musically to drive him to create pieces reflective of his revolving interests.

Eventually Adam’s personal life would send him on a one-way trip to Nashville, where he decided to explore what the local music scene had to offer. He parted ways with his Baltimore band and entered Music City with no expectations, other than to enjoy playing music in a town that envelops the culture. As the old saying goes, when you stop looking for it, it will come, and that is exactly what happened with Adam’s career.

He put together a bluegrass band, started playing around town, and occasionally went out on the road with artists. While playing a gig downtown one night, somebody from NBC’s The Voice approached him and asked him to audition for the show. The audition led to a successful run, and his newfound name recognition was the catalyst for him to pursue a solo career.

Adam is now digging into his personal songwriting catalog, introducing his original material to the fan base he quickly built, and is taking his music out on the road as support for major headlining acts. He is nearing the release of his first EP, which he describes as a “little left of center” due to the different musical styles he embraced in its creation. “After putting this band together, putting these songs together and playing guitar out front, there's a lot of rock & roll in it,” Wakefield admits. “I didn't realize it was going to be like that, and while there's a lot of straight-up old-school country influence, I think it's going to be a great combination of rock & roll and country.”

What certainly can be said about Adam Wakefield when it comes to the music industry is that he approached it uniquely, he entered it humbly, and he thrives in it confidently. It is those qualities that make Adam a standout, influential performer in a town that celebrates musicality and yearns for the type of atypical twist he brings to the country music format.