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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2020)
Continued from Page 8 Adam thought moving to Seattle and starting a new job would make things better but instead realized his work situation had gotten worse. “I started getting anxiety attacks over lit- tle things,” Adam said. “During them I’d be thinking, ‘This is dumb, you shouldn’t be panicking. How do you manage this without getting out of control?’” After about four years in Seattle, the cou- ple decided to move to Astoria so they could live in a more affordable place and enjoy their life together. “The fi rst step was taking ourselves out of the big, corporate race,” Rebeckah said. “Then, I asked him, ‘With no restraints, what would you do?’ He said ‘I would play music and release it to the world.’” After talking it through, the couple decided to try to make Adam’s dream a real- ity. In late 2019, he quit his job to focus full- time on making music. “On paper, it sounds like the most irre- sponsible thing ever,” Rebeckah said. “But you can fail at anything. This is a calculated risk that we’ve put a lot of thought into. A lot is unknown, you may as well try the thing you love to do.” the page(s) Since starting the band, Adam’s released a handful of songs. Most of the songs so far are based on his experiences as a teenager. “I’ve had these ideas stored for 20 years,” Adam said. “I fi gured, if I don’t just get this out, I’m never going to do it.” The sound behind the band’s songs is heavily infl uenced by 90s alterna- tive and grunge. Some of Adam’s infl u- ences are Soundgarden, Smashing Pump- kins and Led Zeppelin. He’s also infl uenced by bands from his hometown of Richland, Washington. So far, the band consists of Adam and his brother-in-law Nate Nerenberg. The pair is looking for a drummer. “I was listening to them after Nate joined and was like ‘Oh, it gets better,’” Rebeckah said. “The more they’ve added to the band, the more other dimensions have been created.” Gary Artworks by Rebeck a One of th h O e band’s fe atured art rton featuring works, Adam an d Gary. Many of the lyrics focus on Adam’s struggles with anxiety. He sings about times when he worried about what other people thought of him. In his song “Noodle,” he wonders whether he’s thinking about him- self too much. In “Sucker,” he sings about his mom wanting him to move out and get a job. Each song is a way for him to express his feelings about experiences that shaped him. “Most people, in a hard time, have used music to get through it,” Adam said. “My goal is to make music that’s meaningful at some point for someone.” As the band releases music, Adam has released blog posts on the band’s website. The blogs focus on anxiety and regularly feature a cartoon named “Sir Gary — the Hellbat of Anxiety.” Gary was created as a type of mascot for the band and a way for Adam to describe his anxiety. Gary characterizes the feeling Adam has in his chest when he gets angry or panicked, he said. “Everybody’s got a Gary in them. Him being a representative of anxiety is real,” Adam said. “He can control your life.” Sharing his experience with Gary isn’t only an outlet for Adam. His hope is that as he continues blogging and releasing music with the band that others will be able to relate to his experiences and learn about mental health through his stories. “It’s been really diffi cult being an intro- vert dealing with an extrovert’s world,” Adam said. “I want to know what people think about the blogs especially and if they can relate to them. Does it mean something to you? If it doesn’t, I failed.” Vintage hardware Architectural Salvage and Home Furnishings Reclaiming, Repurposing and Inspiring our Community Since 2008 Open Every Day - 1162 Marine Drive - (503)325-1313 CBD/THC Flower Concentrates Edibles Extracts PreRolls Accessories hi Casual Cannabis 503-325-4078 193 Marine Dr. Astoria, Or hi Casual Cannabis Asto r ia BRING IN THIS COUPON FOR 10% OFF YO U R E N T I R E O R D E R ! expires 2/27/20 Open 9 to 9 Everyday Daily Happy Hour 3-5 Home of the Bud Mentors - Cultivated to Serve Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older. Keep out of reach of children. Popcorn • Fudge • Chocolates • Ice Cream • Taffy • Cotton Candy • Carmel Apples nd’s logo. Gary and the ba Astoria • Cannon Beach • Manzanita • Rockaway Beach • Seaside THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020 // 9
