Premiere | Matthew James Adkins: Maybe I Wanna Cry
We’ve got a new single from Matthew James Adkins today, a Michigan-based, self-proclaimed, “karaoke cowboy,” whose debut album, Stoned On My Own, is out everywhere on September 17th. Adkins journey into music isn’t your typical one. He wasn’t born into a musical family and didn’t grow up with a guitar in his hand. He did however, feel drawn towards music from a young age and begin composing his own songs. The influence of a bluegrass guitarist and finally getting his own guitar took Adkins to the next level.
Having lived a life much like a country song, heavy on the substance abuse and sadness, one might think Stoned On My Own would draw heavily from the older country sound, and although there are country embellishments and signs of Adkins influences, like John Denver and Willie Nelson, it’s an album that also has an unmistakable Muscle Shoals vibe, due to many of the contributors on the album.
“Maybe I Wanna Cry” starts off with a slow burn of Jimmie Bones’ B3 organ, making way for a finger-picked acoustic solo and some barely discernible German speaking, adding to the mystique before kicking in with the full band plus horns and backing vocals combination that serves as a stunning signature sound for Adkins and company.”
Photo by Chad Cochran
“I wrote this song using feelings and emotions during a low point in my life. The levels of anxiety and fear were at record highs for me. I felt alone in a world of chaos, and I did not know whether I wanted to laugh, cry, or scream. I was trying to stop drinking, but the pills started to take the place of the booze, and the world got scary and dark for a spell. The key change at the end is meant to symbolize getting over the pain and finding peace with it, and finally finding closure.”
Listen to “Maybe I Wanna Cry” below, and make sure you pre-save or pre-order the album. You’re not going to want to miss out on the talent of Matthew James Adkins.