A Song and A Friend Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tom Adamson
A Song and A Friend - is hosted by Indiana songwriter Tom Adamson. In each episode you’ll hear a song by Tom paired with thoughtful conversation from a friend who is connected in some way to the song.
The Song: This performance of “Streets” is from an unreleased set of demos for a re-recording of the “Lost in the Cosmos” album. The demo here was recorded in February of 2020. The onset of the covid-19 pandemic and social distancing of Spring 2020 put a halt to the album process. Life took a different tack for all of us. The jury is still out whether or not the re-imagined “Cosmos” album will be finished and released. The Friend: Hoosier poet, Dan Hawthorne, returns to the show, this time to offer his reflections with Tom on the song “Streets of Chicago.” (To learn more about Dan, see notes for Episode 1.)
The Song: “What Are You Afraid to Say To Me?” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/what-are-you-afraid-to-say-to-me) by Tom Adamson from the 2006 LP Haystack Needles. (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/haystack-needles) The Friend: Shannon and I became friends in the “MySpace Era” of indie-pop: the mid-00s. After seeing me perform with Bottle Rocket Blue a few times in Southern Ohio, we began a long time correspondence on the creative life. She is a lifetime resident of the Ohio River Valley/Cincinnati/Covington KY area and has no problem with you supporting Deeper Roots Coffee. (https://www.deeperrootscoffee.com/)
The Song: “Whistling Past the Graveyard” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/whistling-past-the-graveyard)“ written by Tom Adamson from the 2012 Whistle Stop 7” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/whistle-stop-7) by Tom Adamson and the Texarkana Two. The tune of this song came about when I was counseling summer camp for the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana. The students wanted me to write a theme song for the volley-ball like game of “Nuke ‘Em.” So it was born under a tree next to the sand volleyball pit at Camp Mack. I took the tune home, gave it more “sophisticated” words, the band loved it, and the rest is history. (The Texarkana Two: Steve Trathen bass guitar, Jason Monroe drums) The Friend: Dennis is a staff pastor at Bayside Family Church (http://www.baysidefamily.church/) in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. But for a dozen plus years, he and his brother Jeremy co-founded the band Red Umbrella. For some of those years they were based in the U.S.; more specifically in Valparaiso, Indiana, where I lived at the same time. We became part of the same friend group and over time began to help each other in the recording studio. He and “J” engineered several sessions for me and Dennis really expanded my knowledge of guitar tech.
The Song: “Charlie’s Step-Father Was A Vicar” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/charlies-step-father-was-a-vicar-2) written by Tom Adamson 2011. In this episode you’ll hear two versions: the full length is from the 2011 Whistle Stop 7” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/whistle-stop-7) by Tom Adamson and the Texarkana Two. The alternate version (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/charlie)can be found on the Kyle’s House EP. (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/kyles-house-ep) (The Texarkana Two: Steve Trathen bass guitar, Jason Monroe drums) The Friend: I met Erik as a college freshman, but our friendship really blossomed in the summer of 1998. It is an honor to have Erik on the show as he is one of the pioneers of the podcast medium itself. He is a sought after speaker at media curation, leadership, and productivity events. But I remember his humble beginnings on terrestrial radio for the IWU campus station. In my senior year, I was a frequent guest on his night time show “A Case of the Mondays,” but that, as they say, is another story. You can find more about Erik at Beyond The To Do List. (https://beyondthetodolist.com/)
The Song: “Scarecrow” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/scarecrow-2) written by Tom Adamson 2004. In this episode you’ll hear two versions: the full length is from the 2011 LP “Vanity Project” by Tom Adamson and the Texarkana Two. Clips also appear from the 2010 DIY Scarecrow Single with John Drury on drums. The ‘10 version is also the theme music for John’s Fresh Text podcast and a staple of my live sets. (The Texarkana Two: Steve Trathen bass guitar, Jason Monroe drums) written by Tom Adamson 2004. In this episode you’ll hear two versions: the full length is from the 2011 LP “Vanity Project” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/vanity-project) by Tom Adamson and the Texarkana Two. Clips also appear from the 2010 DIY Scarecrow Single (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/scarecrow-single) with John Drury on drums. The ‘10 version is also the theme music for John’s Fresh Text podcast and a staple of my live sets. (The Texarkana Two: Steve Trathen bass guitar, Jason Monroe drums) The Friend: John became a friend in the summer of 1998 when the student apartment I roomed in held John and friends of this show Erik Fisher and Todd Bushong. The four of us spent that summer landscaping by day and bonding over faith, culture, music, and coming of age by night. None of us are landscapers anymore, but we continue our friendships along the same lines to this day. John joined the roster of my musical collaborators in 2010 behind a drum kit - and a decade later, he is still helping me record new tracks, including the 2021 Kem Road 7”. John is the host of his own podcast Fresh Text (https://freshtext.fireside.fm/), a weekly in depth conversation on seasonal Bible passages.
The Song: “Molten Wax” written by Tom Adamon 1999, performed by M.COTU from the LP Anthems for Wednesday 2000. (Currently out of print) Also heard in this episode are strains of the song “The Wind” off the same album. (M.COTU was Daniel Lambert on bass, Mike Bruneau on drums, and Shawn Stonesifer on Keys) The Friend: Heather began an interest in my music when we became friends as college freshmen. She was an integral member of the entourage of my first band, M.COTU, which I co-founded with Daniel Lambert in the fall of 1996. Her husband of 15+ years, Jason, was a mutual friend of mine and the band’s. I am proud to say I was the best man in their wedding (Mike Bruneau’s Dad “Pastor Bill” was the officiant.) She currently works as a Grant Officer for IWU in Marion, IN, where she lives with Jason and their children.
The Song: “Streets of Chicago” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/streets-of-chicago) written by Tom Adamson from the 2012 DIY project Lost in the Cosmos (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/lost-in-the-cosmos) performed by Tom Adamson and the Texarkana Two. (The Texarkana Two: Steve Trathen bass guitar, Jason Monroe drums) The Friend: I was starting my sophomore year at Indiana Wesleyan Univ. in August of 1997 and Todd Bushong was an incoming freshman. We were introduced through a mutual friend, Dave Mason, and since then, Todd has been a constant and positive presence in my life. Not just in music making, our shared adventures have taken us all over the geographic and philosophical maps. Currently, Todd is a podcast producer, making this and other shows possible.
The Song: "Take Off Your iPod" (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/take-off-your-ipod-2) written by Tom Adamson 2009. In this episode you’ll hear two versions: the full length is from the 2011 LP "Vanity Project" (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/vanity-project)by Tom Adamson and the Texarkana Two; clips also appear from the 2010 DIY project “O Indiana.” (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/o-indiana) (The Texarkana Two: Steve Trathen bass guitar, Jason Monroe drums) The Friend: I met Jason Monroe in the summer of 2003 just a few weeks before starting the band “Bottle Rocket” with our mutual friend Troy. A few weeks later Jason would join us on drums; beginning an 11 year partnership as a songwriting partner, creative sounding board, and close friend. He is a filmmaker, the owner and director of Madewell Media. (https://www.madewellmedia.com/)
The Song: “Hold Your iPod To Your Heart (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/hold-your-ipod-to-your-heart)” written by Tom Adamson 2009. In this episode you’ll hear two versions: the full length is from the 2011 LP “Vanity Project (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/vanity-project)” by Tom Adamson and the Texarkana Two; clips also appear from the 2010 DIY project “O Indiana (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/album/o-indiana).” Heard in the intro are strains of the song “Every Time I Sing (https://tomadamson.bandcamp.com/track/every-time-i-sing)” also from Vanity Project. (The Texarkana Two: Steve Trathen bass guitar, Jason Monroe drums) The Friend: I met Dan Hawthorne in Rensselaer, Indiana in the mid-00s. We hit it off having similar musical tastes and similar senses of humor. Dan is a big believer in the music his friends write. You can hear more of us at the website for “The New Old Distillery (https://newolddistillery.bandcamp.com/)” songwriters collective.