We’re excited to premiere David Adam Byrnes’ latest song, “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, And Loud Music” off his upcoming album Neon Town.
The album will drop this Friday and has a true country sound that fans will appreciate. Deemed “too country for Nashville,” a lot of the songs were actually written while he lived there years ago. Since then, Byrnes has found his home in the Texas country scene, with three songs making it to number one on the charts.
Starting Out in Country Music
Byrnes, an Arkansas native, found his love for country music when he was very young. His parents played it constantly and took him to see a George Strait concert when he was just three. Byrnes wanted to be just like Strait when he was a kid and then realized he needed to develop his own style.
When Byrnes was a child, he performed whenever he could, even if that meant putting on concerts on the front porch or living room for his ninja turtles, eventually moving onto talent shows and restaurants. At five years old, he started going to nursing homes to perform as part of a charity group called “The Pioneers” with his dad’s employer.
Journey to Nashville – and Exit
As many aspiring country artists do, Byrnes moved to Nashville when he was 19 years old and scored two record deals and a publishing deal while he was there. The eleven-year-journey in Nashville was a learning experience for him and he compared it to attending college. During his time there, he learned how to navigate the music business, write, record, and how to be an artist. This opportunity set him up for success. He said, “It was a great experience, I learned so much.” Byrnes eventually left because he didn’t feel he could do country in Nashville the way he wanted it to be. “I love traditional country music and I want to be the guy that carries the torch,” he said.
“At the end of the day, you’ve gotta do you,” he said. And that’s exactly what he did. Jumping into the Texas country scene proved to be the right move for Byrnes. “I don’t really look at Texas country as a Texas thing. I look at it as a genre of its own,” he explained. It gave him the opportunity to make an album that was 100% his own style and it worked.
Neon Town
Neon Town is made up of many songs that Byrnes has been waiting for the opportunity to release. The title track was one of the last songs written and added.
He knew what direction he wanted the song to go, so he brought in his friend Adam for the signature guitar riff. “I want a driving feel,” he told him.
They both played in a lot of dive bars and tiny towns over the years and wanted the song to reflect the places he encountered. “I’ve made a lot more memories in the small towns that I never would have heard of had I not gone and played in these places.” The song ended up setting the tone for the entire album and became the title track.
“Old School” Video
Byrnes decided to create another video and wanted a fun song with everything else going on. The “Old School” video occurred at Tin Roof in Nashville when the entire town was shut down. He had a vision and needed to make it come alive, so he reached out to Kylie Frey to star as the lead female.
His friend Justin was supposed to be the male lead in the video, but found out he had been exposed to COVID, so he had to back out. They were scrambling to find a replacement at the last minute and finally put out a facebook message. “So much of that video was organic and just happened,” he said. Byrnes’ friend ended up playing the bartender because he looked like he fit the role after throwing a towel over his shoulder.
CMT will premiere the video for “Old School” tomorrow, September 29.
Byrnes’ Bucket list
Byrnes’ song “Beer Bucket List” talks about making a bucket list over a few beers, so naturally, I had to ask about what’s been on his bucket list and whether he’s checked anything off. He discussed many of his achievements he’s checked off the list thus far; being on the radio, getting a number one song (or three), touring the country on his own bus, and playing a sold out show that was his own. As for what remains on his list, he said,“There’s so much more that I’ve wanted to achieve, I’m nowhere near that.”
Byrnes talked about the importance of creating small goals and trying to keep them in reach. Once he reaches a goal, he sets the next one. “I love country music and I want to be able to continue to make a living doing it. I don’t care if that means selling out 2,000 seaters or 200,000.”
What’s Next for David Adam Byrnes
Byrnes definitely has a long career ahead of him. He’ll be focusing on his release of Neon Town and also touring. For more information, visit https://davidadambyrnes.com/.