Adam Hood

Adam Hood has left his mark both onstage and in the writing room, carving out a sound that mixes equal parts country, soul and American roots music. He planted the seeds that would grow into a successful career playing shows at a local restaurant in his home state of Alabama. Adam was only sixteen then, and in those weekly sets he often paid tribute to the artists that inspired him — people like John Hiatt, Delbert McClinton, and Travis Tritt.
That was only the beginning, of course. Adam's dedication to his craft would soon pay off — the gigs kept coming, but there was still much more to come. Eventually his presence grew nationally, with a big break coming as opening act for Leon Russell on a three-year nationwide tour.
Today, some of the same artists that Adam covered as a rising young star in Alabama are fans of his, and they play his songs too — artists such as Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Brent Cobb, Whiskey Meyers, Cody Jinks, and Travis Tritt himself.
Adam started writing and releasing songs with Carnival Music, an engagement which lasted six years. Then, in 2016, he signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Nashville and with producer Dave Cobb’s Low Country Sound. Nowadays, Adam manages his own publishing house, Southern Songmaker, and releases music under his own record label, Southern Songs.
Adam’s latest album release under his Southern Songs label is Bad Days Better, which he describes as “-my most honest album yet...” Recorded in August of 2020 at Macon, Georgia’s historic Capricorn Studios, the album showcases the talents of Adam along with Brit and Richard Turner (of Blackberry Smoke) and Charlie Starr. Together with Brent Cobb, the five of them wrote and recorded the project at Capricorn over the course of four days. Joining them on the recordings are Adam Wakefield (organ & keys), Miranda Lambert, Courtney Patton, and Dave Kennedy to name a few. The Bad Days Better recording sessions came just after the world was shocked by the pandemic, and by the emotional turmoil that came with being in lockdown. Adam says that it was great to be in a community of artists who just support him and share his vision.
Macon, Georgia is celebrated for its musical history, and Capricorn Records birthed the southern rock genre, with the studio opening its doors in 1969 ... but the area is also familiar to Adam because it’s close to where he grew up. And perhaps it’s a coincidence that Otis Redding, one of Capricorn Studio’s original co-founders, is one of his earliest musical inspirations too – who could have predicted back then that Adam would rise to join the ranks of the greats before him? Many a hit record came out of Capricorn in its heyday; Adam believes that it’s really a special place with a distinctive atmosphere and a unique artistic energy.
Capricorn, with everything it had to offer, seemed a natural complement to the narrative of Bad Days Better, which Adam describes as a glimpse into a more vulnerable side of himself.
“There’s more of a story to share with this album,” says Adam. Initially, Brent Cobb had approached Adam with his own vision of what he wanted the record to look like, but it

unintentionally turned into something else entirely. Adam explains that in the midst of writing this album, he found himself opening up to the world more, and in those moments of newfound clarity he inevitably found himself doing some soul searching; the result is a deeply personal album. Adam describes it as a marker of all the things he’s overcome in life so far, though he can still admit that he has more to work through.
Even as dreams have cemented themselves in his reality, Adam keeps busy doing what he loves: writing songs and making music. His newest single, “Business With Jesus,” is an upbeat country-blues track that touches on the spirit of traditional gospel songs like “Just A Closer Walk With Thee,” along with Adam’s own artistic touch. Co-written with Pat McGlaughlin, the song’s intention is to be a gospel song “without actually being that,” in Adam’s own words.
So, what makes Adam stand out as a songwriter? The answer is simple: his music is relatable. Just like Johnny Cash, he makes it by being what he is. Adam Hood remembers where he came from and he sticks to his roots — he still lives in Alabama and continues to celebrate his heritage with songs like "Keeping Me Here" and "Real Small Town," both songs that reflect the unique culture of the American south.
"It's southern music," Adam says. "That's what it represents: the soulful side of southern music, the country side of southern music, the genuineness of southern culture, and the way I grew up. One of the t-shirts I sell at every show simply says ‘Southern Songs,’ and It's a good summary of what I do. It's what I've always done."