GRAMMY-nominated Nashville songwriter Adam Wright has shared Side Two of his ambitious four-part solo record, Nature of Necessity: “a masterpiece” (WMOT) that brings his “richly crafted melodies” (Billboard) and intricate storytelling to the forefront. The complete 18-track collection arrives September 25.
Side Two finds Wright delving into rich character portraits and philosophical musings, anchored by the evocative new track “Warm Wind” – a lingo-cryptic swirl through a hot night at the table for a trick shot dice thrower. “There is something alluring about this professional enterprise built on the collision of skill and chance” says Wright. “I’m not much of a gambler, but I found myself reading some remarkable interviews and stories of high stakes players and some of their biggest nights. It was a fun song to write.”
Nature of Necessity finds Wright stepping out of the writer’s room and into the spotlight. “Unpredictable, transporting, and fiercely smart” (WMOT), the epic 18-track collection is produced by Frank Liddell (Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack) and recorded at East Iris in Nashville, TN with renowned musicians Glenn Worf on bass (Mark Knopfler) and Matt Chamberlain on drums (Fiona Apple). When it comes to the story behind the upcoming album, Wright says: “The story is there is no story. I didn’t get sober. There was no breakup. I didn’t awaken to some new awareness. I’m just a lyric junkie with a melody addiction. And this is rock bottom.
A songwriter’s songwriter, Adam Wright has penned songs for Garth Brooks, Brandy Clark, Sierra Hull, Alan Jackson, Randy Newman, Lee Ann Womack, Hailey Whitters and more. Hailed a “wildly brilliant genius” by Robert Earl Keen and “one of the best of the best songwriters and storytellers there is” by Buddy Miller, Wright is a lyrical force to be reckoned with. “Even if you don’t know Adam Wright’s name, you almost certainly know his songs,” says The Tennessean. Wright also collaborated with Parker McCollum on his self-titled album, which comes out this June. Earlier this May, Wright supported Robert Earl Keen at Texas’ legendary Gruene Hall.
Adam Wright’s songs are deeply rooted in the lives of people. A true singer-songwriter, Wright breathes life into his characters so vividly that you’d need a series of novels to fully tell their stories. A self-proclaimed bookworm with a fondness for classic literature, Wright quips, “I probably should’ve just written short stories instead of playing music. It would’ve been easier on my fingers.”
From heart-wrenching ballads like “So You Don’t Have to Love Me Anymore” (recorded by Alan Jackson, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song) to raw, defiant tracks like “All The Trouble” (recorded by Lee Ann Womack and nominated for both a Grammy and an Americana Music Association Song of the Year award), Wright has proven himself a master of the art of songwriting. His work has been recorded by Nashville heavyweights like Jackson, Womack, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood, alongside renowned artists such as Brandy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, and Bruce Robison. Wright has also contributed numerous songs to bluegrass bands like Lonesome River Band and Balsam Range, earning IBMA Song of the Year nominations for each.
Yet his solo albums carve out a distinct, deeply personal path that doesn’t always align with his collaborations. Across his solo releases to date, all but one song has been written solely by Wright. While this level of self-reliance isn’t uncommon in the singer-songwriter world, it’s rare in Nashville’s Music Row. From the playful optimism of “I Win” (which AP writer Steve Wine called “the antidote to 2020”) to the haunting beauty of Dust, Wright’s songwriting voice remains consistent—a testament to his unwavering dedication to his craft.
