On today’s episode, Scott is joined by Adam Duritz, the frontman and lead songwriter of famed rock band Counting Crows. Together, the pair delve into Adam’s childhood and early days as a musician, exploring his earliest musical influences and some of the first songs he wrote during his college years. He also offers a candid glimpse into his mental health struggles, and how he adjusted to fame early in his carer. Throughout the episode, Scott inquires about Counting Crows’ journey towards getting a record deal in the ‘90s, and the success of singles like “Mr. Jones” and “A Long December.” Adam also gives some insight into the band’s latest record, Butter Miracle, Suite One, and the upcoming follow-up. Finally, the episode closes with some of Adam’s Top 5’s, including his top5 underrated rock bands, and top 5 favorite albums of all time.
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CREDITS (Instagram handles)
Host @ScottLipps
Edited by @toastycakes
Music by @Robby_hoff
Recorded at Melrose Podcasts NY
00:00 - Intro
01:20 - Growing up
02:33 - Early music memories
04:27 - Moving around as a kid
06:38 - Berkeley music scene
09:50 - How Adam started writing music
10:44 - Adam’s early mental health struggles
11:34 - The first song Adam wrote
15:15 - Early songwriting
16:05 - Adam writing every day
17:34 - Big Star’s influence/other early influences
21:18 - Adam’s first bands
26:00 - The challenge of playing music with others
27:00 - Playing an early gig in Amsterdam
29:00 - Continuing to pursue music/forming the Himalayans
34:50 - Balancing The Himalayans with other projects
36:59 - Being approached by EMI Records to shoot a video
41:00 - Forming Counting Crows
43:30 - Early success with Counting Crows/sending out a demo tape
48:50 - Bidding war for Counting Crows
50:10 - Signing to Geffen
51:52 - August and Everything After singles and touring
53:30 - MTV contacting Geffen for “Mr. Jones” video
55:00 - Getting on SNL
56:20 - Relationship with other Geffen bands
59:30 - The success of “Mr. Jones”
1:00:45 - Writing “Mr. Jones”
1:03:14 - Adjusting to fame/learning about Kurt Cobain’s death
1:07:05 - Playing to larger crowds
1:09:07 - Working at the Viper Room
1:13:40 - Meeting people at the Viper Room/Robert Downey Jr. story
1:17:25 - Counting Crows’ second album
1:18:55 - Backlash
1:21:53 - “A Long December”
1:28:18 - Latest record
1:31:58 - Upcoming record
1:32:52 - Shrek/writing songs for movies
1:38:00 - Awards shows
1:38:45 - Touring
1:40:52 - Top 5 NYC restaurants
1:44:20 - Top 5 underrated rock bands
1:47:57 - Top 5 albums of all time