vocals • keyboards • guitar • production • custom recording/songwriting

Adam Marsland's webpage for sideman and session work...

Adam (rear) onstage backing Julia Fordham with the most recorded musician of all time, Hal Blaine, on drums, Summer 2008. Right: Summer 2009 photo.

Hire Three People -- Or Hire Me!

In Southern California there is a rich diversity of music talent...some of the best music people in the world live and work here. What I can specifically offer your project is a COMBINATION of skills and a can-do, open attitude about music that most musicians don't have. Acquiring experience in all different fields of music over the course of nearly 20 years, I've been lucky to work side by side with some of the best people, including in key capacities with three Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famers and a Tony Award winner. I've also had a well-received career as a singer-songwriter and produced 8 albums. I've been a keyboard player, a guitarist, a vocalist, a producer, a music director, a drummer. I've even run a record label. If you want to know more about my background, check my bio on this website, or on allmusic.com (under "Adam Marsland" and "Cockeyed Ghost"), or lastfm, or youtube, or just google me.

To hear my own music, check the mp3s on my myspace page. (I played all or nearly all the instruments on "1 in 4", "Despair" and "My Kickass Life," and the bulk of the keys/guitar on the rest)

Satisfaction in music is not about the level of fame you're at. It's about the level of your work. I take pride in what I do, whether it's my own music or someone else's, whether it's big or small. What I enjoy is helping people sound good and achieve their vision and being the best they can be.

Notice I said their vision. Having my own career means I don't have to foist my own identity onto someone else's thing. If I want to do my own thing, I can do it any time I want. If I'm asked to contribute, I'm happy to, but my interest is in learning and growing as a player and putting out the best in everything I do, and that means being an integrated part of the whole...not trying to drag it into my own realm. If someone wants me to jump in and direct (which has happened before), I'll do it with both feet. Otherwise, I'm there to learn, to get along, and do top quality work.

Contact Adam here to discuss your project. Or read further:

doing it all

"Watch out for this guy. He's scary." -- Don Randi (Wrecking Crew and Elvis Presley alumnus)

"There's little he can't do, and do well." -- allmusic.com

I'm a curious person, and over the course of 20 years in music, that's led me into a lot of different directions. In the last few months I've played Telecaster in an alt-country band, been a multi-instrumentalist for an experimental pop group, served as music director for a star-studded charity event, and even fronted a Beach Boys tribute band on less than 24 hours' notice with no formal rehearsal. I'm equipped to deal with nearly any situation, because whatever it is, I've probably done it already. And if I haven't, I learn fast.

Making music work onstage and live comes down to a few simple concepts: keeping good time and integrating sound. It's about how much you know and the choices you make. I will never play the most notes. I will always search for the right notes.

how i work

If you need a sub for a gig, it's pretty simple: e-mail me the song list along with what instrument(s) you want me to play, vocals you want me to cover, and any special instructions. Assuming it's a covers gig, I will probably have most of the songs already on my I-Tunes, and chances are I know a lot of them already. If I am missing some and if there's enough time I will ask you to send me a CD. Then just tell me where to show up, and we'll do the gig and have a blast.

For more labor intensive projects, the first step is talk over your project with you. What do you want me to do? What's the time commitment, the amount of material that needs to be done, my level of involvement? What's the music like and who else is involved?

If it's a more involved project, once I have an outline of what's required, my next step is to learn the record. If I'm asked to come up with a solo or a part, I'll come up with a good one. Otherwise, I start with what's already working...what's recorded. I've found that that's almost always the simplest and quickest way to go. Unless I'm under extreme time pressure, I will generally walk into the first rehearsal knowing, at least in a rough way, the parts to all the songs. I usually do not use extensive notes...I've seen top flight musicians completely lose it onstage because their music stand fell over. I like to internalize the songs so I can play them naturally.

I will also try to familiarize myself ahead of time with what the other people in the project are doing...how many singers in the band? What's the configuration of the group? That way I can visualize what my role will be and fill in the gaps. Everything I do is to try to get the best end result as efficiently and quickly as possible, by anticipating and correcting for problems before they arise.

On a sideman gig, my goal is to walk into rehearsal, the drummer counts the song in, and it's like I've always been in the band from the first bar.

keyboards - get the real sounds!

My longest list of credits is as a keyboardist. Besides my own band, I was a long-running keyboard player for the famed art-pop band The Negro Problem and its leader, 2008 Tony Award Winner ("Passing Strange") Stew. You can also refer to my list of credits on allmusic.com. My specialty on keys is the ability to manage several different parts at the same time. You won't need an extra keyboard player, singer or an I-Pod with me onstage.

Most working keyboardists have the same sound eminating from one keyboard; the Nord Electro or an older equivalent does a very good job at mimicking most of the classic keyboard sounds. I like to go a step further and bring two or three keyboards to get the best sounds possible onstage while taking up the least space. I have a Casio Privia digital piano for piano and Rhodes sounds. For the Hammond organ sound, I have one of the best digital organs available: the hard-to-find Korg CX-3 organ with full drawbars, Leslie simulator and the classic organ feel on the keyboard. For synth sounds, I have a Korg X-50 (Triton samples) synth.

Need real vintage sounds? Got 'em. I also own a Wurlizer, a Farfisa compact organ and a Hohner Clavinet D-6, along with Emu's vintage pro module, which has hundreds of samples of classic synths from the '70s and '80s.

vocals - cover the harmonies, and make it rock!

My vocal range stretches three octaves. Through a career of doing punk rock, soul AND Beach Boys-styled music, I've developed the ability to scream, sing with precise pitch, or pull off a decent Al Green. More importantly, I have long experience with complex background vocals. I've worked with members of the Beach Boys both as a singer and arranger, and can pull off both deep bass and all but the highest falsetto parts. I have an exacting ear for pitch and rhythm and I cut my teeth in tough working conditions...which means when the monitors fail, my vocals won't. If you need a solid and versatile singer that can sing with both force and finesse, I am your man.

guitar - keep it tasty.

My work as a guitarist and guitarist/keyboardist stretches back to my teenage years. I work at being able to play both with precision and with rock 'n' roll abandon. My main axes are a 1984 MIJ Fender Telecaster and a beautiful 12-string Alvarez jumbo body acoustic guitar. I also have several backup guitars, a 6-string electric/acoustic, and have access to other vintage guitars if necessary. I have three amps: a vintage Music Man for the more classic Fender tone; a vintage Mesa Boogie Caliber 50 for rock, and the amazingly compact ZT Lunchbox which will project cleanly in most club situations but takes up minimal space onstage. To get all the classic, full guitar sounds, my pedal board includes the Analogman Bi-Comp, Fulltone Distortion and Tremelo, and custom Super Hard-On boost pedal.

other instruments - lock it in.

I'm a competent bass player, and have stepped onstage as a bassist with zero rehearsal and nailed every note of the set. My basses are Fender Precision and D'Addario Starfire hollowbody. If needed, I can lay down the beat on the drums with some minimal prep time -- I often play drums on my own sessions to get clean, basic performances that don't require much editing. My drumming idols are Al Jackson and Dennis Wilson -- a solid 2/4, no frills, and lots of space for the band to groove over. I've tried my hand at various other esoteric instruments over the years...basically if I need to play something, I will learn how.

music direction - see the big picture.

I've got extensive experience arranging bands live and in-studio, up to 10 pieces at once. I know how to put a band together and do a complicated arrangement that works onstage and doesn't fall apart. Check out this live youtube video for my arrangement and my band's performance of Dennis Wilson's complex, operatic "River Song" and you'll see what I mean.

My most recent music direction gig was for the Carl Wilson Foundation event with Beach Boys Al Jardine and David Marks, Carnie and Wendy Wilson, and others. Video of this is also on youtube. Check out this performance (and my arrangement) of the Beach Boys' "Full Sail" by Carnie and Wendy Wilson.

songwriting - versatility.

My BMI records list more than 90 copyrights, with kudos from many sources, including the New York Press, Time Out-NY, the LA Weekly, Alternative Press, and countless others. The word used most often is "eclectic" -- I've tried my hand at punk, pop, soul, straight rock 'n' roll and country. To me, a great song is a great song, no matter how you present it. If you need scoring or songwriting help, I'm able to write on demand and come up with good material, quickly...in whatever genre, whether it's just a good hook, an instrumental score or a fully realized song.

need a great backing band? I know some folks...

I have my own band that has done top-flight backup work for more than a few well-known artists, and is available for outside work. I also can refer you to some of L.A.'s finest working musicians to help with your project.

covers - need a sub, or a cover band on a moment's notice?

A lot of singer/songwriter types frown on doing overs; I love them. It gives me the opportunity to learn from the greatest players of all time by copping their licks.

If you need a band that can play almost anything, my own Chaos Band regularly does "50 songs in one night" shows where we've performed songs by Marty Robbins, the Dead Kennedys, Aretha Franklin and Husker Du all in the same set.

If your cover band needs a sub that already knows hundreds of songs, or can learn 20 of them overnight, I am your guy.

production/recording

My most recent production project was soul singer Norm Kelsey's full-length CD "A Talent For Loving," which recently got play on BBC radio. You can hear songs from the album here. I also recently released a double album of my own music, GO WEST, which I produced and did much of the engineering and mixing on. Have a listen to some of the songs here. I know how to get a great sound where everything sits in its place and nothing fights.

Besides being able to fill various musical roles, I can also offer recording services and rehearsal space. I have a small ProTools rig with the ability to record studio-quality tracks in my West Valley home. I also have my own rehearsal studio with PA and backline. Knowing ProTools allows me to edit my own tracks at recording sessions in real time. It's not unusual for me to do several keyboard tracks, or stack a mass of harmony vocals, in an hour.

I also offer custom songwriting and recording services -- need a demo recorded of your song, or a custom song as a gift or to finish ideas you've got laying around? I can help.

touring - 100,000 miles and counting

I have done 24 tours, coast to coast. One tour I played over 70 shows in less than 3 months. I've done it in a car, a van, and an RV, from punk dives to 25,000-seat ampitheaters, most recently in fall 2009. I'm always open to new touring opportunities.

what's it cost?

What I charge is on a sliding scale based on the amount of work involved (and, honestly, how much I enjoy the music and how much time I have available) and also depending somewhat on the level you're working at. What I generally get for gigs is comparable to other working musicians in similar situations in the L.A. area. In most cases, my minimum for live shows is $100.

I can also offer packages of services. For example, if you are a singer/songwriter looking for a backup band, you can hire a rehearsal studio and a keyboard player and a guitar player and a backup singer...or you could just hire me.

references

Below is a partial list of people I have performed onstage or in studio with at one time or another:

Davie Allan
The Andersons
Derrick Anderson (Bangles)
Chuck Berghofer
Marty Beller (Ivy)
Joe Berardi
Cindy Lee Berryhill
Gary Black (Four Seasons)
Hal Blaine (Wrecking Crew)
Adrian Bourgeois
Alan Boyd
Nelson Bragg (Brian Wilson)
Shawn Bryant
Carl Byron
Anny Celsi
Jerry Cole (Wrecking Crew)
Paul Collins
Counting Crows
Michael des Barres
Mark Doten
Carolyn Edwards
Jon E. Edwards
Extra
Bobby Figueroa (Beach Boys/Brian Wilson)
Julia Fordham
Good Vibrations (Beach Boys Tribute)
Gary Griffin (Beach Boys/Brian Wilson)
Probyn Gregory (Brian Wilson)
Pete Ham (posthumously, lead singer of Badfinger)
Al Jardine (Beach Boys)
Billy Hinsche (Beach Boys/Brian Wilson)
The Honeys
Kjehl Johanson (Urinals)
Severo Jornacion (Smithereens)
Bill Korecky (Mushroomhead)
Paul Lacques (Bonedaddies, I See Hawks In L.A.)
Martin Luther Lennon
Earle Mankey (Sparks, Concrete Blonde)
David Marks (Beach Boys)
Craig McIntyre (Josh Groban)
Jeff Merchant
Rich McCulley
Eddie Munoz (Plimsouls)
Kaz Murphy
Brent Muskat (Faster Pussycat)
Toby Myers (John Cougar Mellencamp)
The Negro Problem
New Maximum Donkey
Joe Nolte (The Last)
Paranoid Lovesick
Taras Prodaniuk (Dwight Yoakum, Lucinda Williams)
Don Randi (Elvis Presley, Wrecking Crew)
Stan Ridgway
Evie Sands
Sara Stanley
Jon Skibic (Gigolo Aunts)
Joe Skyward (Posies)
Stew (2008 Tony Award Winner)
Surfin' Safari (Beach Boys Tribute)
Matthew Sweet
Brian Wilson
Carnie Wilson
Wendy Wilson
Wondermints
Brian Young (Fountains of Wayne)

contact info

Let's talk about your project! e-mail me.