Adam Green

By only

Friday April 8, 2005

New Hasselhof or New York Rebel?

Over here Adam Green may just be a cult hero, but in Europe he’s known as a “New York rebel” and he’s huge. How huge? He’s the next Hasselhoff. Straight up.

ONLY: Thanks for taking the time man. I understand you’re pretty busy these days.

Adam: Yeah. I’m actually catching a flight back over to Germany in a couple hours.

ONLY: And you’re nominated for a German Grammy or something? What are they called?

A: They’re Echo Awards. Yeah it’s basically the equivalent of a Grammy over here…

ONLY: That seems pretty crazy. You’re huge over there, huh?

A: It is pretty hard to imagine I guess, but I’m sorta like a Britney Spears type thing over there.

ONLY: You’re serious?

A: (laughs) Yeah.

ONLY: And so which category is it in?

A: Best International Newcomer.

ONLY: So I saw on your website that they were trying to get your video to number one on TRL in Germany.

A: Yeah but we never made it to number one. We got to number two though. Eminem held on to it at number one.

ONLY: So they’re actually seriously playing you over there. That wasn’t some one off deal or something like that?

A: No that really went down. There was a serious battle.

ONLY: So are you like the next Hasselhoff?

A: Not really, because he was a well-known guy before he got big over there. You know he was an established actor so he was building on that success. I didn’t have any of that to build on or anything.

ONLY: And Emily’s the one that blew up sorta? Or was it before then.

A: Well, Emily and Jessica.

ONLY: Oh really? I didn’t even know you had a video for Jessica.

A: Yeah it played on Much Music up there, and on MTV2 a bit.

ONLY: But not on regular American MTV.

A: No, but you know there really aren’t that many bands that get played on MTV. And it’s not like I’m really dying to get huge on MTV here-

ONLY: Yeah not that that’s what you’re going for. But you made it to number two on MTV Germany?

A: I think it’s mostly because it’s a much more liberal society in Europe. Europeans aren’t as concerned with whether your music is offensive or not-

ONLY: You really think that’s it?

A: Well it’s definitely a huge part.

ONLY: Because yeah, I was reading up on you before this, and it was the first time that it occurred to me that your music might actually be offensive — when I saw people writing that it was.
A: And it’s like those people don’t even exist, because I don’t think that my music is really offensive either. And there’s also a huge double standard right now with what’s being called urban music. Like there was the song by 50 Cent, that song P.I.M.P. And don’t get me wrong I like that song.

ONLY: Of course it’s fun stuff

A: I think it’s great. But comparing the content in songs like that to what I’m singing about is just stupid. Before we made the video for Emily they made us change when I say kitchen knife — Instead of (sings) cutting me wide open with a kitchen knife, I had to change it to (sings again) cutting me wide open like a happy guy.

ONLY: A happy guy.

A: I know, and I pixilated my mouth when that happens just to kinda give people a hint or something, but still. Guys like 50 can just take the lyrics out and the beat keeps going and it sounds ok, but if I just left those words blank instead that wouldn’t work at all.

ONLY: Who is getting offended by kitchen knife?

A: That’s why I say these people don’t really exist, because I’ve literally only met two people who were offended by my music. And I love it, but compared to what 50 Cent says?

Adam Green plays April 13 at Richard’s on Richards