Adam Puddington

Adam Puddington is one of Almonte, Ontario's golden sons, and he wears the legacy proudly. Rural Canadiana seeps into his songs, bringing the curious beauty of rivers, wildlife, rosaries and trains. Especially rivers and trains, for Puddington's Canada is two worlds joined by river and railway. While his sensibilities are firmly rooted in Ottawa Valley soil, maritime themes in songs like "Deer in the Headlights" and "Footprints" hint at Puddington's ties to Canada's east coast. His craft is wholly original, and warmly familiar. Within his songs, Adam can lead us from grief to a tentative redemption. His warm vocals and stark vulnerability unsettle cynicism, startling us into the possibilities of song. While on the east coast to attend university, Adam found musical kin in the Halifax scene, performing and recording with the city's most innovative musicians (including alt-country darlings The Guthries). The Guthries backed Adam on his debut recording, "Can't Sleep This One Off", with members Brian Murray (drums/banjo), Dale Murray (guitar/pedal steel), and Serge Samson (bass/mandolin) joining Ian Mosher (organ/piano) on Puddington's sophomore effort, "for the meantime". Recorded at famed Common Grounds Studios in Halifax (Anne Murray, Rita McNeil, The Rankin Family, Bryan Adams) by Chris Mitchell and Andrew Watt (Heavy Blinkers), "for the meantime" has been heralded as a "captivating" and "finely crafted collection" (Exclaim!). Citing its "gorgeously moody, bulletproof songs," The Halifax Daily News declared it "simply one of the best albums I've heard all year." While close listening offers traces of Jay Farrar, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, and Richard Buckner, Adam Puddington's music arises from the carefully tended ground he stands on. Adam's deftly-crafted songs have been covered by many local musicians, and he has co-written songs with many of the region's finest artists, including 'Spoonful of Sugar' from Matt May's latest album When the Angels Make Contact. His latest album was produced by east coast pedal steel/guitar session ace Dale Murray (Cuff the Duke, Buck 65, Matt Mays, The Hylozoists) and is scheduled for release in June 2008.