Independent blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Adam Sweet released his second studio album ‘Sink or Swim’ on 11th September 2020. It marks Adam’s evolution into a fully-fledged blues rock artist, cementing his own unique blend of blue-eyed blues and soulful southern rock. With honest tales of loss, longing, hope and strength in the face of adversity ‘Sink or Swim’ reflects the struggles we all face in these most uncertain and fragile times.
Adam first picked up a guitar aged seven but until his early teens his interest was barely smouldering as a brief foray into classical guitar failed to provide the spark of inspiration he needed. Things began to change when at thirteen he started private tuition with Adrian John Loveridge, a veteran of the 1980’s Californian music scene who had just moved back to his hometown of Lyme Regis, Dorset. Guitar lessons suddenly got a lot cooler with tales of ‘life on the road’ in a far-off land, told in an American accent and Adrian’s gold record gleaming on the wall. The breakthrough came when Adam’s new mentor took him to see blues rock band The Hamsters at Lyme’s Marine Theatre. Adam left his first ever gig with Jimi Hendrix riffs ringing in his ears and by age fifteen he was gigging regularly on the local circuit recreating the music of his newfound guitar heroes.
Since those early days of playing in numerous bands he has honed his craft and found his voice, and with well over 1,500 gigs under his belt is successfully carving out a solo career.
His acclaimed debut album ‘Small Town Thinking’ was released in 2014 and marked the start of his long-standing co-writing partnership with award winning songwriter Steve Black. The album, mostly recorded in East Devon with producer Alan West, also called on Nashville based producer Thomm Jutz to add some extra magic in the form of some of Music City’s finest session players. ‘Small Town Thinking’ steadily gathered praise with Adam’s “timeless” gift earning him rave reviews including a full 5-star rating and ‘Album of the Month’ award in Guitar Techniques Magazine, praising the album for offering a “whole new perspective on the (blues) genre”.
Adam’s 2017 follow up ‘Take Your Time’ was a stripped back acoustic offering that perfectly captured the essence of his renowned one-man shows. The 5-track EP was produced and performed solely by Adam and featured a track written with founder member of Level 42 Boon Gould. Tracks from this release featured heavily on BBC Introducing and received several accolades - “Wonderful rock, blues and roots guitar and very classy arrangements” (Album of the Week, Laurel Canyon Music).
‘Sink or Swim’ showcases a fresh sound for Adam that has developed from working closely with new band members Ian Jennings on bass (Jeff Beck, Robert Plant, Ronnie Wood, Mick Fleetwood) and Garry Kroll on drums (Mark Ronson, Joss Stone, Sandi Thom). Recorded with producer Josiah J Manning (Kris Barras Band) at Momentum Studios, Plymouth, the album captures the raw energy and excitement of the band whilst always serving the richly detailed songs crafted by Adam and co-writer Steve Black. With brooding ballads and rollicking rootsy rock ‘Sink or Swim’ will see him continue to carve out his own territory between classic rock, blues and Americana.
The album has already spent two months in the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association Top 40 chart.