The Baker's Dozen #40 Adam Masterson

London-born but New York-based Adam Masterson recently released his second album ‘Time Bomb’ digitally with CD/LP to follow on July 21st. It’s been two decades since his debut ‘One Tale Too Many’ but Adam has kept busy releasing various EPs, shared stages with the likes of Tori Amos, Amy Winehouse and Stereophonics and guested with Patti Smith and Mick Jones (The Clash). We caught up with Adam for an enlightening chat about the music business in 2023 and how buying a Tom Petty record from a beach vendor in Turkey proved inspirational.

1. What is your earliest musical memory?

My parents bought me a 7 inch single when I was about 18 months old because I was mad about it when it came on the radio. It was an Eddy Grant tune. My memory is watching the record spin and dancing to it. I remember thinking it was cool because it was a little vinyl record and it was mine.

2. Do you remember the name of your first band?

No.

3. Which current artist do you find the most impressive and why?

Bob Dylan. because he’s still at the top of his game.

4. Do you sit down to actually try to write songs or wait until inspiration strikes?

I try and do both, it’s important to keep looking….you never know when inspiration is gonna strike.

5. If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?

Trust your gut, as it’s right every time. Don’t waste time on people who aren’t 100 % behind your music.

6. You're stuck in a lift with your musical hero (living or dead) and they ask you to play them something - who is it, what do you play and why?

Jimi Hendrix and I’d sing ‘There must be some kind of way out of here…’

7. On the road, do you have any pre-show rituals/superstitions?

I limber up my vocal cords, stretch my hands and wrists, it’s important to keep taking care of your tools.

8. Should music be free?

There’s more money in music today than there ever has been and it’s all being hidden away. I bet there’s more money in music now than there is in the arms trade. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if all the vast hidden funds made out of music go on to fund things like arms dealers. The rise of the internet should have been a crowning and democratising moment for mankind, but sadly with our lowest common denominator mentality it has put hackers and pirates at the top of the pyramid and they despise arts and culture with a hatred in their soul. We’re dangerous, we have our own ideas and we can make girls and boys dance while we’re saying something. Most of the modern music they champion to billions of streams today is bland and says nothing. They’ve hypnotised us into thinking music should be free while they take in billions from advertisements off the back of it. What a master stroke! I gotta hand it to them….it’s one of the best sleights of hand ever performed. Saying there’s no money in music these days is like the Wizard of Oz trying to con Dorothy while the curtain falls down all around him. Their days are numbered. Instead, let’s talk about hackers and hacktivism. For all their big talk at ‘Anonymous’ a few years back, what did they achieve? Taking down Scientology? If they want a major scalp and to be true anarchists tell them to hack their own in the music business. They’ll find a mother lode of shit right there if they can open up that Pandora’s box. It will make exposing FIFA look like child’s play. There’s loads of money in music, and it certainly isn’t free for some people. They are also people who could never learn an instrument and have the guts to get up on a stage and play and sing and move people.

9. Can you remember the first record you bought and what have you bought recently?

The first record that I really remembered buying was when I was 11 years old on holiday in Turkey. It was Tom Petty’s ‘Into The Great Wide Open’ I bought it for 10 million Turkish Lira on a beach in Fethiye which was about 20 pence in English money. Some lads in their late teens/early 20’s had been playing the record round the pool at the hotel. The jangly guitars in the noon day sun put me under some hot heady spell. I had to ask these lads who made this music? They showed me the cassette cover and said it’s Tom Petty. I’d never heard of him and thought he must be a new guy like Beck or something? I couldn’t believe it when I saw the cassette later that day at a beach vendor’s stall. I had to wrangle the 10 million liras from my mum as I had to have that record straight away.

10. What was the last song that made you cry actual tears?

Moon River.

11. In the digital age, we have more music and video at our fingertips than ever before.  Do you have any guilty pleasures or recommendations in film or TV?

No not really. I read books. I just can’t get caught up in that show series stuff. I watched the ‘DB cooper where are you?’ on Netflix which was okay, but they all follow the same format, cliffhangers at the end and backwards and forwards in the middle with nothing really going anywhere. No promised revelations to be found. I’ve got a low attention span for that stuff.

12. Your house is on fire.  You already have your loved ones slung over one shoulder and your guitar in one hand.  With your other hand you can rescue three CDs or LPs…What are they?

Alfred Brendel - Schubert impromptus

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks

Nina Simone - The very best of Nina Simone

13. What is the most important thing to you that you can see from where you are right now?

My two children: They’re playing with a balloon in the living room.