Minneapolis-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Adams is making waves in the music industry with his recent releases and reflections on his journey. The CEO of Groove Productions Inc., Adams recently dropped “My Debt to Pay,” delving into Gospel music, and is hearlded for his instrumental EP, Ear Slap, showcasing his versatility across genres.
Adams credits his early exposure to music, surrounded by family members deeply entrenched in the industry, for fueling his passion. Inspired by the likes of family and other local talents, Adams honed his skills from a young age, eventually transitioning from a hobby to a profession. Reflecting on his musical development, Adams acknowledges the pivotal role his family and mentors played in nurturing his talent.
With his label, Adams values the freedom to explore diverse musical expressions. Balancing his roles as a musician and executive presents challenges, but Adams remains focused on his artistic growth and the upcoming release of vocal-oriented projects.
Speaking with The Source, Adams examines his evolution as a musician, while remaining grateful for the gifts bestowed upon him, and eager to share his music with the world.
I feel like every musician has a family member that linked them to music, but you had exposure to people who sat alongside Prince or had very in-depth experiences. How did that help shape your passion? What was your primary influence?
For me, I was right there. I could see it, but I couldn’t touch it yet. I think that helped with my drive. Older family members were doing it. People next door had a band, everybody around me had a piece of music, and from that, I grabbed some ice cream buckets and turned them into a drum set. Being an only child, your imagination is everything. I would pick out an instrument in a song and focus solely on that. I saw how bass players played, so I would emulate that with what I would feel I was playing. Eventually, I kept the same process when I started writing and producing. With me being so close, but so far, I was idolizing the people around me and studying all instruments.
Did they contribute to your musical development once the people saw that spark in you?
One of my cousins had a best friend who looked out. Once, I had Herbie Hancock’s Sunlight album, and I studied the drums on every one of those songs. My dad let me set up drums in the living room with big speakers, and I invited my cousin and a mutual friend over. He was the first person to hear me play these songs. I hit them note for note, and he ran around screaming and hollering, stating I was better than my cousin. My cousin didn’t take that too well but he was in the industry and went on to nurture it. By age 14, he had invited me to the studio to play the drums, but I couldn’t mess up. We were recording. He put me in situations where I would make some arrangements on records he was doing. I was such a young kid, but that influence gave me credit. We jammed for hours and put confidence in me because they could see the talent.
How did you know it was time to make this a profession and beyond a hobby?
I was an athlete in high school, and football was my first love. When the love of music came, I had to make a choice. Going to college and playing football would leave me all busted up, or I could go on the road with my cousin and do music. I decided to do that and learn as much as possible to pursue it.
Fans can get an excellent introduction to you through the Ear Slap EP. What was the inspiration for that project?
Each song had a different inspiration. Overall, I never had an instrumental project before and always want to challenge myself to do something new. The first song for the project was a jingle for a company, which turned out nice. The second came, leading to the third. I was in a particular mode, and the project took off from there. Most of the singles started in one direction and organically grew. There’s never a set plan. But once I finished three songs, I decided to go on with the project, which took its shape based on how I felt at the moment. It turned out smooth and mellow.
You released this album under your label. We often hear about the independent versus major label battle for artists. What led you to create your own imprint?
Flexibility. When you have been in the game for a while, you get to a point where you want to do certain things but are limited under a major. For me, it was being able to do gospel, work in R&B, turn around, and work on instrumentals. I wanted to stick to my work. I don’t have a particular lane. My lane is just music and what God gives me in the moment. I want to release this now to express myself and have the freedom to say.
How hard is it to balance being a musician and an executive?
Very challenging. I don’t consider myself big on social media. It’s not one of the things that I really enjoy, but that’s part of it. Putting the team together to handle more stuff is where I’m now, so I can focus more on artists’ development and music.
What have you learned about yourself as a musician as time went on?
That God has given me special gifts and it’s still so much more for me to learn.
What’s the next project? Will you stick with instrumentals or go back to vocals?
I already have some stuff coming out soon. They have vocals on them. It’s three releases that will be out. I will drop one song at a time. I also have two additional albums sitting, ready to go. I’m trying to be patient, but I have heat for the summer that is ready to let out.
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