Where Were You When I Was Trying To Function? (digital download)

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS TRYING TO FUNCTION? is a 5-song collection of transition. With production by DopeKidDanny and Adam et al., Adam weaves themes of confusion & clarity, mental unwellness, self-reflection, closing old chapters (as Faimkills), opening new ones (romantically & otherwise), and forging ahead into a frightening hopefulness over goth-meets-emo-indie-pop-meets-rap instrumentation.

All songs were written and recorded in a season of slow metamorphosis between 2015 and 2021. These were songs that didn’t fit into the framework of Faimkills, and thus, were held until Adam was brave enough to let that persona down and start new. These songs are the first step in revitalizing himself as Adam et al.— a holistic expression and embracement of hip-hop, pop, & guitar-driven songwriting. Songs like “Blossomer” and “L L L” are full-on departures from rap and call back to Adam’s tenure as a guitarist and singer in indie-hardcore band, Spirit Fangs. “Past Life Headfirst” is an extension of the final form of Faimkills heard on IKOV, and “Chasing The Casket” and “Somewhere I Can Exist” combine various elements of Adam’s rap styles and themes during the Faimkills decade, leaning into the introspective with hints of wiser sincerity, braggadocio, and light spell-casting through song.

The aim of this collection is to ask the question that is the title: WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS TRYING TO FUNCTION? The question is a rhetorical one for friends, family, God, and most importantly, ADAM. The function is two-fold: function (to party, celebrate & socialize) and function (to be an adult that can take care of himself and hopefully thrive despite his dysfunction).