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All Things Adam Deitch: One of America's Most Intriguing Drummers April 9, 2021 12:08
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Interview by Jordan Kirkland: Live & Listen
Photo by Dakota James Photography
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Believe it or not, we have now passed the one year anniversary of the entire world being put on pause. In March of 2020, life as we know it changed in a way that we never could have expected. As cases of COVID-19 began to sweep across America, we were suddenly given strict orders to stay at home and avoid public interaction at all costs.
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While so many industries were seriously affected from this very moment, none felt the wrath of this global pandemic more than the world of live music. When you're expected to avoid crowds and maintain a six foot distance from others at all times, concerts are nearly impossible. Music venues, bars, and restaurants were the first to be shut down, and many are still waiting to reopen their doors a year later.
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As we look on the past year, we're catching up with a number of our favorite musicians to learn more about their COVID journey. I've been a fan of both Lettuce and Break Science for at least a decade now, so it was only fitting to find a way to include virtuoso drummer Adam Deitch in this interview series. Check out the full conversation below, and make sure to follow both bands on Facebook and Instagram for all of their latest updates in 2021.
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Let's kick this off with some general background info. What initially led you towards the drum kit?
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Adam: The drum thing started because my great uncle, my father's uncle, was a big band drummer in the 30s and 40s. He played with a bunch of big bands, and he had his own gig, where he wrote and arranged all of the music for his group in New York City. He was the first drummer in my family. He inspired my dad to be a drummer. My dad went to Berklee College of Music, where he met my mom, and then they had me. That's where the drummer thing comes from.
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Very cool. So, both of your parents went to Berklee?
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Adam: Both of them went to Berklee, and they met there. They're both professional drummers, teachers, and college professors.
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Wow. That's so cool. I knew a little bit about your Dad, but I didn't realize your Mom was also a drummer. Sounds like you were thrown into it early on.
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Adam: Oh yeah. From two years old and on, it was just drum sets and having fun on the kit.
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That's amazing. So, I'm guessing once you got a little older and into your teenage years, you were on the fast track towards pursuing this as a career.
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Adam: Yeah. First, I was sitting in with their band. My dad also plays the keyboards, so they could be in a group together. They were a duo, and they played all over the tri-state area. I would sit in with them on percussion, and then later, drums. Then I was eventually old enough to play with people my own age and even older people. I was in a bunch of bands from elementary school all the way up to high school. I met the Lettuce guys when I was 16 at a summer thing at Berklee. That's really when the band started.
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Gotcha. So, I was recently listening to Eric Krasno's podcast with Joe Russo. He mentioned that you guys had the same teacher at some point as teenagers. Can you elaborate on that?
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Adam: Yep. Once I was 13 or 14, my parents couldn't really teach me anymore. I was getting headstrong, and I needed to learn outside of the house, you know? Frank was my first teacher. I had been with him for a year or two, and one day, Joe is there. We had never met, and we were both 13 or 14 years old. Our teacher felt like we should know each other, so we played a little for each other that day, and we've been friends ever since.
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That's such a cool thing that you linked up at such a young age, and here you both are leading the way so many years later.
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Adam: Thanks so much man. We've always inspired each other. I'm a big fan of his. He comes from this John Bonham type of place. He loves those big, open drums. Then he made his way into the Grateful Dead world and brought some of that raw, Bonham power into the Dead thing. That's why they're so big now. He puts that extra amount of electricity into it. In a way, he added a lot to that song book. I love Joe. He's been a great friend for a long time.
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You're absolutely right about that. You mentioned getting linked up with the other Lettuce guys when you were 16. Tell me about that project coming to life.
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Adam: At age 16, we were all unsure what we were going to do. We all really helped each other. Through that, it's the basis of our bond both as human beings and musicians. Being each other's cheerleaders and supporters. We started playing as a five piece: me, Kraz, Schmeens, Zoidis, and Jesus. It just felt right. Kraz had the background in music business. He was able to get us some dorm gigs. Then some more gigs followed. The band started getting some exposure and playing around.
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Kraz joined Soulive, and the rest of us started doing freelance work for other artists. After a while, Kraz started having Lettuce open up for Soulive, which is why Soulive is so important to the Lettuce legacy. You know what I mean?
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Absolutely. That makes sense, because I was always curious about Lettuce's early years. I knew you guys got started in the early 90s, but Krasno was super active with Soulive during that time as well. It wasn't until a little later on that I was hearing as much about Lettuce. What was the band's activity level like during those early years?
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Adam: It was very minimal. We would do a few college gigs here and there. Little things like that. It was pretty minimal. It wasn't until probably 2003 or 2004 that we were like, "Wait a minute. This is a serious thing. We need to really regroup and do this." That's basically how it went down.
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Very cool. You mentioned doing some freelance work for other artists early on. Can you elaborate on that?
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Adam: My first big tour was The Average White Band. They're a very famous funk band from the 70s. They brought me around the world. I toured with them for three years. I got to open up for Earth, Wind, & Fire, Ohio Players, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Kahn, to name a few. That was a huge learning experience. From there, Kraz recommended me for John Scofield's band. He set up a dinner, and Sco wanted a drummer to take on tour. Kind of following the path of what he did with Medeski, Marin, & Wood and with Soulive. That's really where my career started to bubble.
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I can imagine. What an incredible gig. I had forgotten that you toured with Scofield.
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Adam: Yeah man. I did three years and three records with him, and we got nominated for a Grammy on the first record. It was a life changer.
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Wow. What an experience. At what point did you link up with Pretty Lights? Did that lead to the formation of Break Science?
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Adam: Break Science was going on first. Actually, it was probably around the same time. We both started around 2007-2008. Derek (Pretty Lights) and I had some mutual friends who recommended me for his thing. I thought it would be a good way for Break Science to link up with him. It all worked out, and we became his live band. We were one of the few live bands in that EDM world. That was a major thing, and it also introduced Lettuce to a whole new generation of people that had never heard of us.
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That makes sense. And this was around 2008-2009?
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Adam: It was probably 2010 when this went down.
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Gotcha. I vividly remember all of this happening as I was finishing college.
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Adam: Yeah...by the time I was playing with him in 2010-2011, he was playing really big places. It was an experience that really helped out everything I was doing in life.
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I can imagine. Well one of the main things I wanted to cover in this interview was the experience of this past year. As a professional musician, I know your life was turned upside down as the reality of a global pandemic set in last year. I was curious to know where you were when this happened, and how you and your bandmates have managed to make it through to this point.
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Adam: We were in Europe. We had just done the best tour ever. We'd been all over Europe in the tour bus. I knew when we had to skip Italy that this shit was serious. Then Trump imposed the ban on returning to the U.S., and we had to get back before it was official. We got back just in time, and then all of us just stopped in our tracks. We had to figure out what to do with our time. For me, it was just write, create Lettuce tunes, create Break Science songs, and just have an output of creativity, you know?
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Over the course of the last year, is writing what you would credit towards keeping you inspired and sane throughout the last year?
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Adam: Absolutely. The only reason I didn't lose by gourd is because I was writing almost every day. That's what kept me going, and that's what will keep me going until I'm back on the road.
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I saw that both Lettuce and Break Science recently played their first shows in quite some time, right?
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Adam: Yeah man. Lettuce and Break Science both played Cervantes in Denver just a few weeks ago. With Lettuce, we spent five days in the studio recording all of the new songs, then we streamed two shows from Cervantes. Then, a week later, I had two more shows with Break Science.
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Man...I'm sure those were an exciting couple of weeks.
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Adam: Oh yeah. I definitely cried happy tears. Absolutely.
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And we can expect a new Lettuce album coming up at some point?
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Adam: Yeah, we recorded a bunch of tunes. We're feeling really good about it. It's our best work yet. It still has to be mixed. We'll probably get back in to do that in April. Then it will be mastered. We'll get it out after that.
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What can people expect from you guys moving forward this year?
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Adam: We just got our first festival gig at Suwannee Rising. He's got this great, socially distanced thing out there. I believe it's in early April. We have some other things coming in, and if management feels that they are doing it correctly with proper distancing, then we will do it. If not, we'll pass and wait for the next opportunity.
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Absolutely. I'm sure it's exciting to have some gigs on the horizon. I know the fans share in that sentiment. Y'all's music brings so much joy and happiness to so many people. It will be worth the wait. I appreciate you taking some time to chat with me. I'll be looking forward to the next opportunity to see both Lettuce and Break Science.
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Adam: I appreciate you saying that. Thanks for doing this Jordan!
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Lettuce Funkifies Birmingham's WorkPlay Theatre September 30, 2016 18:42
Photos by Craig Baird Photography
Thursday night brought about a heavy night of funk at Birmingham's WorkPlay Theatre, as Lettuce brought it's "Sounds Like Party" tour to the Iron City. After an hour long opening set from Michael Menert, the stage was set and the vibe was just right for action packed funk party. This band's ability to come in and take over a room is nothing short of remarkable. No matter how many times you get out to a Lettuce show, you can never be quite prepared for the dance party ahead of you. Last night's cover of War's "Slippin' Into Darkness" just about set the room on fire, and flawless takes on Lettuce favorites such as "The Force," "Phyllis," "Does Your Mama Know," and "Sounds Like a Party" were more than enough to set this show over the top. You would be hard pressed to find a better room for this type of party than WorkPlay Theatre. This was certainly one that everyone in attendance will remember for quite some time, and the hype surrounding Lettuce's eventual return to Birmingham will be very real. See below for a collection of photos courtesy of Craig Baird, as well as a complete setlist and video footage from "Slippin Into Darkness." Lettuce continues it's tour this weekend at the inaugural Bear Creek Bayou Music & Arts Festival in New Orleans.
Setlist: Lettuce at WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL - 09.29.16
Intro, Blaze, Flu, The Force> Harmonic Jam > Slippin' Into Darkness, Remember the Children, Phyllis, By Any SMZ, Lett Bobby, Does Your Mama Know, Sounds Like a Party
Encore: Squa Live
Watch Lettuce cover War's "Slippin' Into Darkness" here:
