Adam Chaffins is an indie artist who grew up along Kentucky’s famed Country Music Highway 23 fascinated by the ’80s and ’90s country music stars from there. Following years of acclimating himself to the diverse sounds of his region, Chaffins quickly found his traction as an award-winning songwriter and an in-demand bassist. He was being recruited regularly for session work, including with renowned producers such as Buddy Miller and Dave Brainard. He spent years performing in bluegrass bands, including as bassist for Town Mountain and as vocalist and bassist for Rounder Records’ The Deadly Gentlemen.
Chaffins was ready to craft his own sound. His first solo album, born from the constant advancement of his music by honoring past experiences while always moving forward, created a new palate of sound that might not have existed before and invited diverse audiences that might not have come together before.
Chaffins has surprised us with “Now I Don’t Know” (below) which might be the Americana breakup song of the year. Chaffins’ twangy delivery is one of an elder statesman, as he muses eloquently to a country-rock backdrop, stuffed with embellishing guitar tone and honkytonk arrangements. We’ve all been there, rock bottom. You think you’ve found an angel… well think again.
“Thought I’d hit the bottom, but I found a new low,” sings of a love you just can’t accept is gone. “It is a simple song,” Chaffins describes. “There are so many ways for love to sour in today’s upside-down world and we are all so isolated. The song captures that extreme lonesome feeling but wraps it in a playfulness, creating a sense of both sadness and happiness. ”
