After founding Blank Records, Adam went about converting his basement into a state-of-the-art soundstage, which now serves as the performance space for the buzzed-about online music series. Combined with interviews that are filmed in his retro-but-refined print shop in Marietta, the sessions offer intimate conversations with a wide range of both legendary and emerging artists. Musicians like Marc Broussard, Collective Soul, and most recently Skip Martin, the GRAMMY-winning former vocalist for Kool & The Gang. It’s just one of the many projects on Blank’s plate this spring – he also just released a live album from the Atlanta base songwriter Angie Aparo.
We spoke with Blank about his background in business, his decision to launch Blank Records, and what sets Live at the Print Shop apart. Read on below, and be sure to check out the latest Print Shop sessions on their YouTube channel HERE.
Adam, congratulations on the recent success of Live At the Print Shop. How did the series come about?
I’ve always had a lifelong desire to create high level audio/visual content and a huge passion for music. I wanted to create a platform to give back to artists that have influenced and impacted me. It’s an amazing opportunity to interact with these artists face to face, and create everlasting content that both artists and fans can be proud of.
We know you’ve worked in several different industries. How did you first become interested in working in the music industry?
I’ve always been involved in the arts since I was a young kid. Once I achieved success at my scrap recycled business: ABC Recycling, I turned my focus back to the arts. Live at the Print Shop and Blank Records aim to be a positive force in the music industry.
You’ve had an impressive list of artists stop by the Print Shop. What is one of the most memorable moments in the Print Shop to-date?
Wow, that’s a tough one… every episode impacts me in some special way. If I had to pick, I would say; having Collective Soul over at my house, and making one of the best friends I’ve ever had in their lead singer Ed Roland has to be the highlight. He’s like a brother to me. It’s funny how life works.
What is your vision for the series as a whole? What makes it different from other performance series?
The personal and introspective aspect of the interview is what sets us aside from other live performance shows. From a technical perspective, we strive to be at the top of the food chain with our audio and visuals… we try to get better every episode. When I sit down to interview an artist, their music is deeply meaningful to me and that’s reflected through our conversations. Aside from putting out grade-A content, we want to amplify artists’ voices and spread positivity.
Live at the Print Shop is an offshoot of your record label Blank Records. What else is the label working on this year?
We just released a live album with the incredible Angie Aparo. In the past we have released albums with Drivin N Cryin and REHAB. We are currently working on releasing a live album with Collective Soul and developing our Scottish phenom: Dave Archibald, expect to hear both of those releases soon!
Is there anything else you would like to share about the future of the show?
Yeah… if anyone has a contact for The Cult, please tell them to come on to my show hahah…. THEY ROCK!
