WERS 88.9 fm - Artist Interview: Adam Ezra Group

January 27^th, 2010

Around 2:30pm at WERS, people from around the station were called in to help out on the last song of the Adam Ezra's in-studio performance. About 15 people were all crammed into the performance space. Just as the group was about to kick off their last song, "Scandal", Adam said, "No one has any idea of what is going down – that's how we operate in the Adam Ezra Group." As the song went on, looking around the room, the bassist threw a handful of knives, forks and spoons into a container, the percussionist was picking up random instruments, the piano player had a tambourine in one hand and a random object in the other, and 7 people who had no idea what they are singing were belting out during the chorus, all a part of "Scandal."

This was something new for WERS, and it's all thanks to the enthusiastic and free spirited Adam Ezra Group. One of the most hard working and inspiring artists of our day, Adam Ezra has been touring non-stop, writing music, teaching school workshops to students, and working with Partners in Help for the Haiti Relief.

The Adam Ezra Group displayed a genuine and sincere vibe throughout the studio and in their songs. It's hard to find bands today that play with so much passion and vibrancy. They offer plenty of variety in their music, and what's really exciting about their music is that you never know what you'll hear next. 

WERS: When did the band come together?

Adam Ezra: I started playing music about 10 years and 1 month ago. I was living in Chicago but I was from Boston. After being on the road and playing at coffee shops trying to figure out how to be a performer, I came back to Boston for some auditions. Here, I started playing with Turtle the percussionist as a duo. That was about 9 years ago. Since then the band would add an instrument, and it would evolve from there. Then someone would leave and someone else would come in. And now in its current form, we have been banging around with the music you hear today. And that has been going on for about 3 years.  In the past couple of years the sound has really been coming together.

WERS: Do you find yourself discovering new elements' of your music now and are you trying to do anything different, or has your music today been more consistent with your early work?

Ezra: I 'm a very strange writer and I like a ton of diversity.  I like a tone of different kind of music, and music is a way for me to express myself, I have a lot of moods and sometimes I feel like a different person, depending on how you catch me. Music is always evolving both in the way that we play together and in the way of the writing; but not in a specific direction or conscious direction. In a lot of ways our stuff, writing, and the songs we have come out with is much more mainstream than it has ever been, a lot of it's the product of me being able to tap into the sides of who I am.  And us as a band being able to tap into the different sides of whom we are.

WERS: It seems hard now and days to find many bands that produce overall diversity and uniqueness in their music….

Ezra: Some ways it makes it hard, unless you're working for a magical radio station like WERS that thrives on diversity. The uniqueness makes it really challenge for us as a band. People want to be able to get your band in 30 seconds. If you were describing someone and said, "Oh they are old country I get it." And it's really hard to do that with us. That's our biggest challenge. People walk away from our show really excited but not knowing how the hell they are going to describe the music to their friends.

WERS: What's the most interesting show you have played? Are there any stories? 

Ezra: Crazy stuff all the time. This summer we opened up for a lot of great bands. We opened up for Cracker, this heavy rocking' band from the 90's. And a week later I opened up acoustic for Judy Collins, on this super folk venue. It was so surreal, it was cool juxtaposition. We are playing at The Paradise for like 600 people. And last night we raged at this tiny bar that we just love. We go down there and we can still do it. It's a completely different experience.  The place was packed with people dancing.  I've been touring with Ellis Paul. And lately he has been having me do an open set, and then I do lead guitar and vocals. Crazy experience.  We've also been doing a lot of school workshops.

WERS: You don't hear of musicians willing to take time to teach kids about music and writing…

Ezra: Doing that is what inspires us. The irony is that the more that you give, the more you get. In 2009, 25% of our tour went to various charities and community projects. It's what inspires our music and keeps us going.

-Words by Kristen DeTroia

-Images by Fernanda Gomez