Adam Rader

With lyrics that explore the complicated facets of everyday life, Adam Rader brings a refreshing perspective to acoustic/pop music. "Most of the time I only write about the things that really dig at me. I think exploring things that are difficult helps us shape who we are," says the now Los Angeles-based Southerner. Citing Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Dave Matthews, and John Mayer as major influences in his life, Adam writes songs to express his interpretation of the world. “It’s cool when people can relate to that, " he notes.

Ever-expanding audiences are welcoming Adam’s music throughout Southern California. At intimate venues like Hotel Cafe and Velvet Jones, Adam is winning fans with his genuine authenticity and with music that is easy to relate to. "I have a place I go to in my mind when I'm performing. It could be what I was thinking about when I was writing or something currently going on in my life. I am always finding new meanings in what I write. I love knowing everyone else has a place they go to as well. They connect their own thought and experience to it, making it their own. That has to be one of my favorite things about music. Once it leaves your mouth or instrument, it’s no longer yours."

Adam also draws inspiration for his young music career from a deeply rooted desire to inspire people in their own lives. He attributes his aspiration to make a difference in this world to his mother, who instilled in him a strong drive to live a life of purpose. Her approach to me has always been, " If it makes you happy, DO IT. "

Adam is the younger of two children and was born in and spent most of his childhood in Monroe, Louisiana. His high school years were spent in Virginia Beach, Virginia. "The sense of community in the South is very strong. I think that is something that has stuck with me." Indeed, Adam's earliest memories of Southern living include those of his father playing Zydeco records in the house as a kid. "Louisiana has a great pace of life. It was a cool experience growing up there and experiencing that culture."

As the first of his family to demonstrate an inclination for music, Adam had to discover and learn things on his own. "I never really connected with any artists until I was 20. My friends were always turning me onto music they liked but it didn't resonate with me. I guess it took a certain amount of mileage before I could grasp the concepts of the songwriters I've grown to love." At the age of 12, he traded a skateboard for a beat up electric guitar. Ironically, he didn't really start playing until several years later. "It amazes me when I think back. I had that guitar for so long and never learned to play it. It was Duncan Sheik’s first album that sparked my interest in writing."

During Adam's third year of college at Cal State Long Beach he took an Intro to Theatre class as an elective. "My teacher required anyone who was late to get in front of the class and sing a song. I was running late for class one day and said $% it, I guess I'll bring my guitar and make it interesting." His teacher pulled him aside after class to find out a little more about him. "She asked me what my major was and I told her Business. She laughed at me. In a brief conversation that followed, she urged me to reconsider the direction in which my life was heading. It was about a week later that I quit school and fully committed myself to being an artist.""