Go to the Ted Herbert School of Music website and Adam Terrell’s bio mentions nothing about the fact that he is the lead guitarist for Assembly of Dust. In fact, Terrell has no idea how well known he is amongst his jamband peers. He’s extremely modest considering this summer marks the tenth anniversary of Assembly of Dust and Terrell has been there for the entire musical journey.
In July 2001 at the Stone Church in New Hampshire, Terrell bumped into former Strangefolk frontman Reid Genauer at a Percy Hill concert. Genauer invited Terrell to be part of his next musical project. Fast forward and Terrell’s lead notes have shaped Assembly of Dust’s signature Americana sound.
AOD, which announced it will perform at New York’s Mercury Lounge on December 30 and 31, entered the studio in July to record a new album. It was the first time the band produced tracks without longtime keyboardist Nate Wilson and drummer Andy Herrick. Terrell co-wrote a song on the album titled: “Unvarnished.” Backstage during a concert in Portland, Maine, Terrell came up with a chord progression and recorded it on his phone. Genauer wrote all the words and a week later there was a song.
Terrell also plays in Ghosts of Jupiter, formerly known as the Nate Wilson Group.
So how long have you guys been in the studio and what’s the process been like?
We just started 10 days ago and we got some basic tracks down. We’ve been talking about getting back into the studio for a few months. Reid had come up with a crop of new songs and started getting the bug and wanted to record more songs. We finally decided to do it this past week or so, and hold ourselves up in a studio in Manhattan and recorded a whole bunch of tunes – 16 songs. It went great.
Our producer Ryan Freeland kept us on task and kept us away from redoing everything. He was offering an outside perspective and kept us focused on the task at hand. The real driving force is to capture the songs in a pure form and we’re not succumbing to the temptations of going back to fix things. We played and tried to be relaxed about it and have a good time.
What’s the sound of the new album going to be like?
It’s pretty much all brand-new songs that we never played – it’s a broken down approach – nothing fancy, just focusing on the songs. Every instrument is there to deliver the message of the tune. And there are different drum grooves with Dave Diamond and different instrumentation with Jason Crosby. It’s not one of those rip roaring rock albums. It runs the gamut of a few different genres.
With no Nate, and no Andy was there a different feel in the studio?
It was definitely different. This time in the studio it’s been more of a collaborative process. When you got some new guys – it’s kind of like: ‘Lets see what these new guys can bring to the table because we’re still getting to know them.’ You come up with things you never expected and it pushes you as a musician. There’s a more mature feel and it feels fresh because they are new. I definitely miss playing with Andy and Nate – those guys were around for a long time, but having new guys in the band takes you a out of your element, and takes you out of your comfort zone and that’s a good thing.
How much of a creative role in the songwriting process do you get to play?
Reid comes in with a basic song structure and lyrics but he trusts us to help him flush it out. He trusts us to throw out ideas in terms of chord patterns. Some of the songs are open to different arrangements, chords, and bridges. We’re mature enough to except each other’s ideas and try them out. It’s a healthy process – Reid is writing the signature of the piece, but every song becomes a stew with our different ingredients.
You co-wrote a song on this album, will we ever hear you take the lead vocals on a song?
I enjoy singing a lot but I don’t know. I’m not a lyricist. I don’t write lyrics. I never had a knack for writing. I like to sing a cover song here and there. Reid has a powerful voice with a lot of gusto, so we might as well have the best singer in the band sing. I don’t know why I haven’t been able to write lyrics.
Speaking of Reid, what’s he like as a band leader?
He’s hands off, but that’s not entirely accurate. In a musical sense, he likes to have us throw out ideas and see what sticks. He trusts us and he trusts our music sensibility and he gives up a sense of control. When we perform live, we work loosely from a setlist that
bassist John Leccese comes up with and we can offer opinions.
When does Reid take control?
Sometimes we get to a point where we’re not going to agree on everything and that’s when Reid is hands-on. When we can’t make a decision, he makes that great executive decision.
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