Heartland rock traditionally speaks to the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of everyday people. New Jersey-born singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Skrizzly Adams keeps those traditions alive—with a twist. Sharing vivid stories through a lens of pop bombast, rock energy, and thick hip-hop production, he nods to a holy trinity of Bruce Springsteen, Kanye West, and Johnny Cash by blazing an uncharted trail.
In many ways, the artist’s ear-catching moniker sums up his mission.
“I want to make the Americana of the future,” he exclaims. “My music has the same feeling in the lyrics and melodies, but the delivery mechanism is modern. The name flips American folklore on its head, changing ‘Grizzly Adams’ with the sharp Skynyrd and Skrillex letters. It reflects my whole vibe.”
Spending his childhood immersed in music, he learned multiple instruments and developed a passion for slide guitar and songwriting at a young age. Skrizzly started properly producing out of his dorm room in 2009. Shortly after, the budding 19-year-old talent handled production for Chris Webby’s There Goes The Neighborhood EP, which soared to #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. He crafted countless songs at a recording studio in Jersey City financed by his engineering. In 2014, he independently released the 2014 EP Stains. Among its five songs, total streams exceed over 2 million and counting. That songcraft landed him a major label deal in 2015 as his single “Tipping Point” won the coveted Grand Prize at the prestigious International Songwriting Competition, placing him in league with previous victors such as The Band Perry, Bastille, Vance Joy, Passenger, Gotye and more. Simultaneously, he hit the road with the likes of Elle King and Lissie as well as going on a “House Party Tour” that took him into fans’ homes. He has garnered early praise from high-profile figures such as Perez Hilton and super producer Boi-1da.
In 2017, he strikes out on his own, wholeheartedly following the inner passion that inspired him as a child.
“I play by my own rules,” he exclaims. “You don’t choose music; it chooses you. For me, it’s all about building a catalog that will speak to people and they’ll continue coming back to it. I want to deliver as much music as possible directly to the fans. That’s my mantra as an independent artist. I want to stay out on the road and remain grassroots, so I can really create something great.”
Outside of music, he’s quietly constructed a successful (and delicious) culinary endeavor with Skrizzly Adams Beef Jerky. The beef jerky sells out at his merch booth nightly and remains a staple of his profile.
In the end, it all comes down to the songs and stories for Skrizzly—in true heartland fashion.
“I’m trying to paint a picture of life,” he leaves off. “Things go up. Things go down. I tried to make my music like that. A moment is ugly. A moment is romantic. As long as a moment is honest, it will resonate. I want to capture the intensity, frustration, and moments of passion we all experience.”