INTERVIEW: Cole Adams Hops the "Chattanooga Night Train"
Blues slinger and singer Cole Adams talks his new song of unrequited teen love, "Chattanooga Night Train"
Cole Adams grew up in Saint Louis, surrounded by all the best American music had to offer: blues, Motown, country, soul, and all of those influences wrap around his gentle voice and persistent groove. Adams' latest song, "Chattanooga Night Train," is based on some painful experiences. "As a closeted queer teen, I traveled to see a friend who moved away, whom I was also secretly in love with. Eventually, I came out of the closet and the love wasn't reciprocated." Adams tells us more about the single, as well as his thoughts on songwriting.
Who are some of your musical influences?
My biggest musical influence over the years has been The Beatles but there are lots of other artists that have greatly influenced me: Alanis Morisette, Green Day, Tom Petty, John Butler, Ben Folds, Sublime, Dashboard Confessional, Damien Rice, Old Crow Medicine Show, Motown (as a whole), CCR, Bob Seger... I could probably go on for a while so I’ll stop there. :-)
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
The first song that comes to mind is, "More than a Feeling," by Boston. [Editor's note: hell yeah.] It feels like a nostalgic, warm hug to me. I heard it a lot in childhood, so happy memories were created through that, but it’s deeper than that. The level of emotion in that song gets me every time. I also love all the changes. The song has beautiful movement to it.
Tell us about the first song you wrote.
I wrote my first song as a way to vent about being in the closet. Not a single soul knew what I was experiencing as a trans guy in the closet at 16, and writing was the perfect way for me to express my emotions before I was ready to come out and be my true self. It was called "Because I Do" and it’s out now on all digital and streaming platforms.
Have you ever been given something remarkable by a fan?
The most remarkable thing I’ve been given by a fan is a sketch drawing they made of me while I was on stage performing. It was unexpected and meant a lot to me. Still have it today.
Explain the title of "Chattanooga Night Train."
The title of my latest single is, ‘Chattanooga Night Train.’ The title is based on a personal true story. At 18 years old I traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee by myself for the first time, because I also fell in love for the first time. It didn’t go well but it made for great lessons and some songwriting.
The theme of this song is to love, travel, and live life to the fullest. The idea is the old saying, “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”