DoubleView of Adelitas Way
at Rocklahoma 2014
Adelitas Way is the best discovery I made while researching Rocklahoma bands. With a Nickelback styled sound showcasing Golden God-worthy guitar work and powerhouse, sexy vocals, Adelitas Way surpassed all initial expectations. Listen to any song from one of their two fantastic albums (Adelitas Way and Home School Valedictorian) and you will get a delicious taste of skilled songwriting abilities and love/hate lyrics. In fact, as Robert Zakaryan (lead guitar) puts it, “There are a lot of love songs…it’s [just] a different kind of love.”
Adelitas Way will soon be coming out with a brand new album called Stuck, which is due to be released on July 29th of this year (2014). Both their previous albums, which were released in 2009 and 2011, were phenomenal and brought the rock ‘n’ roll world into shock. In fact, the hit single “Invincible” of Adelitas Way was featured on various TV Shows and video games; singles “Sick,” “Alive,” “Criticize,” and “The Collapse” off Home School Valedictorian all reached the top four on the U.S. Active Rock Chart.
After all this success in the past two albums, one can only wonder if Stuck will live up to the other albums, or even surpass them. “The quality of the music is different and better,” states Andrew Cushing (bass). “We came together as more of a band on this album and we just translated what we were feeling… It was just us kind of feeling like we had our own thing to say.”
To produce Stuck, Adelitas Way had the privilege of working with Grammy Award winner Nick Raskulinecz. “He was the man,” Zakaryan recollects, “He was super into the songs and he wanted what we wanted out of the songs…We wanted to keep it true, keep it not too overdone, stick with more of the main instruments that we play.” “[It] was more of a raw vibe,” adds Cushing.
After all this success in the past two albums, one can only wonder if Stuck will live up to the other albums, or even surpass them. “The quality of the music is different and better,” states Andrew Cushing (bass). “We came together as more of a band on this album and we just translated what we were feeling… It was just us kind of feeling like we had our own thing to say.”
To produce Stuck, Adelitas Way had the privilege of working with Grammy Award winner Nick Raskulinecz. “He was the man,” Zakaryan recollects, “He was super into the songs and he wanted what we wanted out of the songs…We wanted to keep it true, keep it not too overdone, stick with more of the main instruments that we play.” “[It] was more of a raw vibe,” adds Cushing.
They definitely achieved the raw vibe they had been aiming for. The new single “Dog On A Leash” was released in early April of this year and brought a new sound that Adelitas Way hadn’t yet experimented with. The guitar throughout the song (but especially at the beginning) is tinged with a much more bluesy, Southern sound, and DeJesus’ vocals are brought to a whole new level.
It turns out that Stuck will be reflecting this new sound. “I love the blues,” Cushing explains. “That’s what it is. It’s cool that it feels like that; it’s different.” “Different and better,” Zakaryan finishes.
As listed on the oh-so-informative Wikipedia, one of Adelitas Way’s biggest influences is Guns N Roses; it is also stated that they had the privilege of touring with this big-deal idol. “It was a really cool opportunity,” Zakaryan remembers. “Incredible players; just a super cool experience.”
At Rocklahoma, Adelitas Way shared the stage with big name bands like Kid Rock and Five Finger Death Punch. “We love being part of the main tier bands,” says Zakaryan. Cushing adds with, “The crowds are always awesome. We like to pump them up for the bigger guys behind us.”
However, how exactly are they supposed to pump up a crowd of 50,000 drunken people? Turns out they have a plan. “We’re gonna give them refreshments,” declares Zakaryan, “some non-alcoholic refreshments.”
Cushing corrects him, saying, “We’re gonna f**king wake them up with our guitar amps. That’s what we’re gonna do.” “Clean guitars, heavy, mushy bass,” Zakaryan adds.
At Rocklahoma, Adelitas Way shared the stage with big name bands like Kid Rock and Five Finger Death Punch. “We love being part of the main tier bands,” says Zakaryan. Cushing adds with, “The crowds are always awesome. We like to pump them up for the bigger guys behind us.”
However, how exactly are they supposed to pump up a crowd of 50,000 drunken people? Turns out they have a plan. “We’re gonna give them refreshments,” declares Zakaryan, “some non-alcoholic refreshments.”
Cushing corrects him, saying, “We’re gonna f**king wake them up with our guitar amps. That’s what we’re gonna do.” “Clean guitars, heavy, mushy bass,” Zakaryan adds.
Life on tour is crazy for Adelitas Way. According to Cushing, crazy things don’t happen, “it’s just one big crazy. “It’s not crazy like, ‘Oh, god, I’m crazy!’ like The Hangover crazy. It’s like real deal, we’re traveling across the country and sh*t’s just going nuts all over the place. It’s dangerous. Actually, that’s the craziest part… It’s dangerous as f**k.”
Dangerous? Well, how dangerous can it get? “On the way in here,” Zakaryan begins, “as we pulled into this place, our tire to our trailer just rolled of.” “Part of the axel broke and rolled off into the side of the creek,” adds Cushing. Zakaryan mournfully continues, “This is like our fifth tire, so that’s a little crazy.”
Zakaryan seems to think it’s all about dying, though. “Technically we’re just asking to die. That’s what’s crazy. It’s not about the tattoos and the girls and the little bracelets and the little necklaces and all their little everything. It’s about not trying to die out there.” Of course, I’m thinking, Are you sure it’s not about the music? “Well, that’s a big part of it, that’s the main thing,” says Zakaryan. “We’re not trying to die for the music.”
Dangerous? Well, how dangerous can it get? “On the way in here,” Zakaryan begins, “as we pulled into this place, our tire to our trailer just rolled of.” “Part of the axel broke and rolled off into the side of the creek,” adds Cushing. Zakaryan mournfully continues, “This is like our fifth tire, so that’s a little crazy.”
Zakaryan seems to think it’s all about dying, though. “Technically we’re just asking to die. That’s what’s crazy. It’s not about the tattoos and the girls and the little bracelets and the little necklaces and all their little everything. It’s about not trying to die out there.” Of course, I’m thinking, Are you sure it’s not about the music? “Well, that’s a big part of it, that’s the main thing,” says Zakaryan. “We’re not trying to die for the music.”
On stage, the music comes to life. The energy put forth by each and every band member equates that of a room full of hyper toddlers. Zakaryan describes what he feels on stage: “I feel like it’s just a channel…you’re just channeling—,” “You’re in the moment,” interrupts Cushing. Zakaryan ignores Cushing and continues: “You’re just channeling some energy and it’s the best feeling.” “It’s better than any alcohol or drugs,” Cushing finishes.
I loved watching Adelitas Way live. Their stage presence was a mix of two parts confidence and one part contentment. They weren’t some main stage band that made it big and then grew a large ego; they are in it because they love it and no amount of fame will change that. Cushing’s hardcore bass and Stafford’s driving drums lay the groundwork for DeJesus’ unmatchable vocal talent and Zakaryan’s expert guitar skills. AW had a six-song set time and did not waste a single second of it.
 | Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future. |
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