Special thanks to Zack Vaughan for sending me this great interview. It was transcribed by his friend, Ryan Simpkins. Thanks Ryan!
I: Ive been joined in the studio here with a man I greatly admire, Adam Duritz of Counting Crows. Welcome to KLOS
A: Hey Joe!
I: Good to have you stop by here this afternoon. If you don't mind. I have some records up here. We'll have a little fun and see whats been going on since you been on the road.. you've been on the road for a while.
A: Yeah, yeah since November off and on.
I: I know that the first tour was like 607 years long
A: Six hundred and.... yeah.
I: And this one youve been on since November. You just on a break now.
A: Well, I have a few days off then we have to make up some shows this weekend. We have to go out to Salt Lake and Denver. The whole band got sick couple weeks ago. It was at altitude so it wiped everyone out. so we have to go make them up.
I: Well lets take a quick break.
(commercials)
I: But if the album really sucks, I would never play it. Because its called the seventh day and its entirely my ah.... ah we're back here. Adam's in the studio with us from Counting Crows here on 95.5 KLOS Los Angeles. I'm Joe Benson. Adam. Welcome to the studio. We're just talking about all sorts of things. Look for some knobs.
A: I've got a knob. It's cool. I found my own personal knob.
I: You know thats probably a little more personal than you want to get right now. We were talking just when you came in here that you guys are on a brief hiatus from touring. And youve been out since November this time around. Will there be another leg again after you do the make up dates?
A: Yeah, we have a few weeks of then we are going to Europe for about a month and half and then we'll come back and play America all summer.
I: And you were in Europe at least once before. You done a tour over there.
A: Been there twice. Been over there several times. Three times.
I: A couple years ago went over there associated with the Rolling Stones. And went to Berlin and a couple other places. I was quite in shock how much different Europe is from here. Do you find the audiences any more receptive?
A: Um, I think kids are pretty much the same everywhere. Theres not a big difference to me that way. The nice thing about is about you know I have no problems walking around the streets there. Thats great. I love that. Thats really cool. We're not that big over there. It's kinda a pleasure. Its great.
I: You are a very unique band in that the effect you've had on people listening to your music has gone much deeper than anyone I've seen in a long time. I'm fascinated on a couple different aspects. Personally speaking that how much you get into songs and how much it seems you put of yourself. I don't know how much it actually is. Being a songwriter I can't predict that from this. I love the way the band works behind you. The way things mesh together. And then the effect you have on people. I have a good friend who rarely is demonstrative of emotion in public and she had been, after your first album came out, been listening for a while and was someplace in the country and walked through an airport and you were on the telephone on a payphone making a phone call. And she called me a little bit after and said "you know, I saw Adam standing there and I just wanted to go over and hug him." And I am going, I'm sure he really would of appriciated that quite a bit. But you really do effect people down. Did you ever think you would have that effect?
A: Um, well it still seems kinda weird to me. Just because the songs are very personal to me. But I didnt... they seem so singularly about me that I didn't think they would relate to other people. I didn't think other people would relate to them that well. I've sort of learned that thats not necessarily true. But it's still..... I just accept that it happens now, but its sort of strange to me. Because they feel... I don't know.... when I write a song I just write it about myself. Generally. So. Then you know. They feel real personal. I don't.... I guess there are things that people have in common that make it meaningful for them as well I guess. I don't understand what that is.
I: At this point, you aren't taking it into effect if you are writing a song. You dont stop and say "oh my god, what effect will this have on people?"
A: Ah no. I think you really start to trip yourself out doing that sort of thing.
I: You mentioned too about being able to walk around in Europe. Um and not being recognized. Steve Winwood wrote "we are not like all the rest. You can see us any day of the week." When he realized he couldnt go anyplace and not be recognized and seen. That lack of personal time do you find yourself, when you are on tour in the states, going off to hide someplace, or when you not on the road, or like your off the road right now, course you come to see me and I appriciate that very much. But for your lack of personal time have you made some way to take care of that on the road?
A: Well you know I just sort of accept it now. It flustered me a lot along time ago. But it doesn't really anymore. I mean. It's just life. So really. It's not a big problem anymore just because I think that I stopped getting so weirded out about people looking at me. I was in the airport the other day and I was going to the bathroom. And some guy was standing next to me in the stall and he said, this is totally true, and he said "hey your that guy from Counting Crows." And I'm peeing. And I said "yeah." and he goes "man I cant believe, I cant believe, your here man I cant believe I'm standing next to you" And I said "well you know man, I have to pee too" It's not really.....But its like that. I think it's just the strangest thing in the world to have a normal life and be someone they see on TV. But hey, I gotta pee. Like anyone else.
I: Thank god he didn't ask you what you were doing.
A: Yeah, "what are you doing here"
I: Adam Duritz of Counting Crows is here with us. I have a track from the new ablum. Daylight Fading. You're probably familiar with it.
A: Yeah, we played it last night.
(daylight fading plays)
I: That's the one you played on the Leno show last night.
A: Yup.
I: And I just love watching you guys perform. You look like your just having so much fun. And Matt your bass player was back there going (squishy sounds).
A: You know his mom and dad were there. It was great. Matty was having the time of his life. We sat him out in front.
I: So there could be right there. Leno's a lot of fun to play with isn't he?
A: Yeah.. you know its funny earlier in the day I had this, we've been planning a vacation and I had this book on Portugal. And I was reading it. I read obsessivly. I always have something with me to read. And so when we were doing the sound check earlier, I wasn't thinking of it being camera blocked, I was thinking, oh we're just checking sound. So I had the book and when someone else is playing, I'm reading and then I would turn and sing, you know. I'm just trying to get my level together. Afterwards, the director and she said, very nicely.... "I just want to ask you one question, um, will you be reading during the show?" And I looked at her and said "what?"... and she said "because I wanna.... if you're going to do that.. it's ok.. it's kinda interesting.... i wanna focus on the book and then pull out and show you and pull out to the band and then come back to the book." And I said "no don't worry about it"... she was really nice about it but she had to be thinking... what kind of a goon is this guy... you know.... psudo intellectal posing with a book on camera.
I: We're speaking with Adam Duritz of Counting Crows. I love that kind of stuff that goes on behind the scenes. You've been working with these guys the band for quite a while. Is it the dynamic.... when you guys are out.. your on stage... you play it goes really well.... at the moment it's done does everyone disappear... or do you actually hang out and what not together?
A: We hang out a lot. We're all... we've been on the road for so long you either you hate each other or you don't.... we're pretty good friends. all of us... we go out to bars.... not so much because it's hard to go out after a show in a town because you get kinda mugged... um.... we watch alot of the x-files.... on the bus... i had never seen the x-files..... and I saw one show... and it seemed really cool so we wrote to the guy... chris carter... and said we really dug this... we'd like to see the show... and he sent us .... everything.... so we've been stay up late at night..... we get on the bus at one in the morning and we'll be there till three in the morning watching the x-files... only now matt goes to be early.... so it's not fun to watch during the day.
I: Well he probably has nightmares... he looks out in the crowd and sees some people from the x-files....
A: We're pretty geeky people.... I think that you'll find that your average rock star is a dork.
I: I wasn't going to say that... but.. i've been told..... you have fans that follow you from show to show.... are they like dead head fans... are you aware of these people?....are these psycho killers that david burne would of been writing about..
A: There psycho killers.. but the're nice... there these kids...... when i first got a computer.. we started playing on AOL... and there was a folder there.. and there were some really cool kids on the folder... and uh... i havent been on my computer for about a year.. but matt obsessily talks to them all.... and a bunch of them came to a bunch of the west coasts shows... the're nice kids... there just like six kids... nice kids...
I: Ahh well thats cool.
A: I mean there may be hundreds that are following us around... but i dont know about that ... i know these six....ryan and zack.. there nice guys....
I: One of the things i do on the seventh day..... is besides tracking the albums... is when there are b-sides or bonus tracks.. we include them.... now you and the Counting Crows have usually released really cool live versions of songs.. some of them recorded in the BBC.... and some of them from here... i remember something about a show in Boulder.... and i dont remember where the tracks are from from your latest CD.... and there are two songs that i am aware of.. i dont know if they are out takes...or exactly what they were.... and someone mentioned one i am really unfamiliar with.... the song called chelsea....thats not on the CD... but i understand on the vinyl.. perhaps on the cover but there is music for it... piano music... or something...
A: Um.... no i think the music there is actually walkaways... that little piece of paper.... um but.. chelsea and good luck.... were two songs that i wrote for the record....that were just piano.. and then three friends of mine from new orleans.... playing... trumpet trombone and saxophone.... it was just the four of us playing... and uh... it was just making the album a little to adam heavy... and we really wanted to make it a band record....so we pulled them.... and it was too long.. the album is an hour long as it is and that made it over 70 minutes.. those two songs...
I: Do you play chelsea live?
A: I have played it once live... and good luck 3 or 4 times....not very many... i haven't played chelsea since before we made the record.
I: There is another song called "einstien on the beach" that was released as part of a sampler... whats the story on that one?
A: That we never play live.
I: Was it something from...
A: That was a demo from the first week the band was together.... literally the first week we were together... we recorded four songs.. round here, rain king, einstien and one other.... and it was never ever considered for the first record.... to be honest with you... it was a demo... charlies playing a little synthesiser organ pad on it.. um ... it was just a song that was to me more clever that meaningful... its not a bad song.. its just a clever song... never really considered it for a record.. um.... and had i know what we would turn it to..... i would of never given it to DGC for the rarities album.... because i thought it would just be hidden there and no one would here it and it would just be for realy muzos.... you know.... and uh....as it turned out.. right as i shut down august.... and said we weren't going to put anything else out.. the rarities album came out... and radio just... and it went to no. 1.. and it was a song i never wanted hear again... and i had to hear that on the radio EVERY day.... and it drove me up the wall.... and still kids request it.... its not a song i ever.... i mean.. i like it... you know dave and i wrote it... im very.....i was just kinda learning how to write a pop song that day... and i was just humming the most humble guitar line i could come up with (adam hums einstien chords).... and mad david play it... its.. soooo... its such candy.... that its drives you up the wall... it drives me up the wall after one listen.... but ahh...
I: But you know.. at the same time.. if you were that good when you started.... there are alot of discourged musicians out there listening right now.... i have another track i am going to play right now... and then i know you have to go.....
