Selwyn Sounds on Saturday, March 1, at Lincoln Domain will be headlined by British electronic synth pioneers Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD).
The line-up also features Tom Bailey from the Thompson Twins, Kiwi rocker Jon Stevens with his Noiseworks and INXS collection, Australian singer-songwriter DIESEL, Christchurch rock band The Narcs with special guest Kim Willoughby, and Christchurch pop-rock band Castaway.
Adamson, 19, landed the gig after opening for Castaway at the Loons in Lyttelton – Castaway is managed by Selwyn Sounds promoter David Parlane.
Adamson is eager to learn from the seasoned musicians he’ll be performing with.
Adamson’s musical journey began at six, and quickly became more than just playing chords and singing songs.
“Music started for me as a therapy against my inability to focus.
“I struggled with ADHD and then my parents introduced me to playing guitar and singing.”
“From being a little fella, I really did fall in love with it.”
What solidified his dream was watching Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never documentary, making him realise he could turn his passion for songwriting and performing into a career.
His biggest gigs to date have been placing third at the 2023 Rockquest final and singing at last year’s Christmas in the Park.
Going from playing in front of hundreds to 40,000 within weeks was a bit of a shock, Adamson said.
“When you’re on a stage like that, the only thing running through your head is, I want to make these guys go nuts right now.”
While he loves the artistic process of constructing a song, the thrill of sharing his music with a crowd is unparalleled.
“Having other people sing it with you, seeing how they are impacted and how they relate to the songs is such a beautiful thing.
“This isn’t just my therapy anymore.”
His favourite song to perform is an unreleased track called La La La, described as a combination of 90s grunge, pop and a shot of adrenalin.
“It feels so alive.”
All of Adamson’s songs have a personal feel to them, reflecting his lived experiences, feelings and struggles.
“Music has carried me through things that I can’t carry myself through.
“But if I can write a song about it and leave it there on paper or record it, then it’s kind of separate from me,” he said.
His writing process is constant – even when an idea pops into his head as he is getting off the bus, everything stops so he can jot it down.
Adamson still feels he has so much more room to grow as an artist and each day he gets closer to where he wants to be.
“My whole life’s been leading to the sound I’m pursuing now.”
While Selwyn Sounds may not have as large a crowd as Christmas in the Park, Adamson considers this upcoming performance his most important yet.
“For me it feels bigger, because I get to have a whole set of originals, which is really exciting.”
Selwyn Sounds is just on the horizon, but Adamson sees himself performing across the globe, sharing his sound with as many people as possible.
