“There’s a little bit of light in the darkest sky, it’ll shine on down if you give it time,” or so says the final track “Darkest Sky” on new supergroup, Texas Hill’s self titled EP. The trio, which features Adam Wakefield, Craig Wayne Boyd, and Casey James, are each wholly deserving of an artist spotlight—or ten. After all, both Adam and Craig made long runs on The Voice, and Casey did the same on American Idol; but that is just one more gleaming bullet point on the impressive and ever growing resumés of all three rising artists. That being said, though I could wax poetic on each member, and though the band selected “Darkest Sky” to close their EP, I thought this lyric was a perfect way to begin to describe the music of Adam Wakefield, and to prepare everyone for Texas Hill’s upcoming SCENES concert on November 8th—which promises to be nothing short of extraordinary.
I’ll admit, like a lot of folks, Adam Wakefield first crossed my radar when he was a finalist on The Voice in 2016. My parents, who are avid lovers of both the show and country music, insisted that I “check this guy out.” Full disclosure: when I pulled it up, I sort of expected just another bro-country singer, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing—but more on that later. Instead, as he sang his original tune “Lonesome, Broken, and Blue” in a Stapleton-esque, bluesy baritone, I found myself confronted by a country singer in the classic, and truer, sense of the term. As it goes with great country songs, the tune conveys an emotional reality of much greater complexity than the simple language would have you believe. In this case, it is the story of a man admitting to his former partner, and perhaps to himself, the inescapable pain he feels—a pain which often walks hand in hand with love. Further, though he doesn’t seem to regret the relationship, he is faced with the finality of things, and thus finds himself caught between the need to move on and the truth that his love, now unrequited, hasn’t gone away. “But it’s something you gotta do. It’s hard to believe a hurt like this could be good for you.” It is a story as relatable as it is authentic and vulnerable.
What I’ve found as I’ve continued to dig into Wakefield’s music—both his 2017 self titled EP and 2018’s Gods and Ghosts—is that authenticity and vulnerability are qualities he has seemed to master. In fact, according to his official bio, they are his primary aim. “I’m not saying I’ve had a hard life, but when I write songs about somebody dying or trying to get sober, these are experiences I’ve had. The more you wear your heart on your sleeve as a writer, the better the tunes seem to turn out.”
What else jumps out at me is his sheer versatility. Sure, his music has obvious roots in the classic country troubadours, but sprung from that fertile ground is a clear adeptness in various genres—namely Memphis soul, southern rock, folk, and New Orleans funk. This becomes all the more astonishing when you realize Wakefield’s not even southern born. He’s originally from New Hampshire. Being Nashville based now, he does explicitly say that he doesn’t write bro-county because his mom would “disown” him.
For years, Wakefield has held true to his vision and to his creative integrity, while working his tail off in the process. Whether it was studying music in NYC, touring with his brother, playing the bars in Nashville, or even filling in as a singer for The Steeldrivers—a post once held by Chris Stapleton—Wakefield has shown that he realizes the value of hard work and the importance of being teachable. “If I wanted to get better at singing runs and complicated stuff, I’d learn some Stevie Wonder stuff. To work on tone, I might learn some Gregg Allman. For range, it might be Donny Hathaway or Marvin Gaye.”
It is this humility, combined with honest self awareness, dedication, and flat out talent that make Wakefield a rising star in every sense of the word. In an age where, too often, popular music has become just another formulaic enterprise with profit at its center, Adam really does represent a sincere light shining through an industry clouded by inauthenticity. Fortunately for us, he has put in the time, and the effort, to ensure that his light shines out brighter by the day—a beacon only made stronger by the darkest skies of his personal experience and his courage to reveal them through his music.
Now in Texas Hill, Wakefield has found two more artists who can meet him where he is artistically (and then some). In listening to their single “Easy on the Eyes,” with its feel good rhythms and lush harmonies, it’s hard not to feel the 70s soul of Dobie Gray and The Doobie Brothers creeping in. It’s just plain fun to see three artists discover the fruits of their creativity, adaptability, and perseverance. The best part is, you don’t have to take my word for it. Tune into SCENES Sunday, November 8th to see why this trio deserves the title of supergroup. You don’t want to miss this, though one thing is for certain, no matter what, these guys will keep right on shining.
