Podcast Summary: “Adam Wright: Behind the Scenes with a Prolific Singer Songwriter”

Podcast: Takin’ a Walk
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Adam Wright
Release Date: October 29, 2025
Duration: ~35 mins (content excluding ads)

Overview

This episode of Takin’ a Walk features acclaimed Nashville songwriter Adam Wright, known for his skill in penning evocative, timeless country and Americana songs for major artists and for his own releases. Host Buzz Knight takes listeners behind the music, exploring Wright’s artistic process, values around imperfection, working with notable musicians, songwriting influences, and the making of his new album, Nature of Necessity.

The conversation is reflective and candid, revealing the philosophies, regrets, and humor of a seasoned craftsman who champions musical humanity over digital perfection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Thought: The Human Element in Music

• Adam Wright’s Philosophy:
  • Adam immediately expresses the importance of authenticity in music:

    “I like to hear performances and I like to hear some humanity. And when it's not in music, I just, it's hard to get interested, man, for me at this point.” (00:01)

  • Wright reiterates this at length when discussing his recording philosophy (see section 6).

2. Signature Opening Question: Walk with Anyone, Living or Dead

• Buzz’s question: If you could take a walk with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and where?
• Adam’s Answer:
  • He chooses James Joyce, walking around Dublin. He’s fascinated by Joyce’s leap from Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man to Ulysses:

    “...It's a perfectly good novel by a very good writer... then this radical explosion of literary inventiveness that was Ulysses. Like, I want to know what happened between this novel and this novel...” (04:57)

  • He humorously wonders if he might regret it:

    “I can almost guarantee you that I would probably regret it, but I think I'm going to go with that.” (05:52)

  • Anecdotes about Joyce and Hemingway bar brawls ensue, adding a literary/bohemian flavor. (06:35)

3. On Regret and the Artist’s Path

• Regrets in Career:
  • Adam refrains from pointing to regrets, explaining that every misstep shapes the present:

    “You take one of those little things away and then you're not where you are anymore... I don't know if I have a lot of regrets, really.” (07:21)

• Buzz’s Regret:
  • Shares a story about passing up a shot of whiskey with Bob Dylan out of intimidation:

    “My regret is just that silly one of not doing a shot of whiskey with Bob Dylan...” (09:02)

  • Adam’s take:

    “Probably would have been worth it.” (09:08)

4. Working with Notable Artists: Sierra Hull and “Zoom Writes”

• Writing with Sierra Hull:
  • Wright describes first writing with Sierra Hull during COVID over Zoom, and later meeting her in person at a festival.
  • Adam praises her creativity:

    “She's so bright, and she's so musically in tune with her artistry... It's like this musical cauldron is just always boiling.” (10:39)

• On Bluegrass’s Next Generation (Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, etc):
  • Adam cherishes this “phenomenal crop” of young musicians, admiring their technical skills and artistry:

    “Just these, I mean, mind blowing musicians and they're making great music... The playing fascinates me.” (11:36–13:12)
    “Selfishly, just so I can just see them play... I’m fascinated with just the mechanics, just the sheer physicality of what some of those people can do on an instrument. Like, it’s thrilling to me.” (12:54)

5. Collaborations and Songwriting Influences

• Writing for Randy Newman with Brandy Clark:
  • Wright and Clark wrote “Bigger Boat,” performed by Brandy and Randy Newman.

    “I got to hear him sing words that I wrote, which is... good enough for me.” (13:57)

• Randy Newman’s Genius:

  “He’s on the short list of the most brilliant songwriters, no doubt.” (14:42)

• Top Songwriters List:
  • Mark Knopfler, John Prine, Roger Miller—each admired for different attributes of lyricism, wit, musicality, and “gravity.” (14:55–16:24)
  • On Leonard Cohen:

    “It’s such serious writing, and it’s so intentional... Leonard Cohen’s the hardware department. Like, you can get hurt in there. It’s pretty serious, man... I would just listen to Leonard Cohen albums and drink coffee and just wait for a way in, you know?... I still don’t think his music... is really enjoyable to listen to for me, like, but I don’t think that was the point of his music either.” (16:28–18:43)

  • Mark Knopfler, for Adam, brings emotion, musicality, and a guitar nerd’s dream to the table.

6. Musical Serendipity & Nashville Life: John Prine Encounters

• Trying to Meet John Prine:
  • When Wright moved to Nashville, he “panhandled” by taping CDs to Prine’s office door. Later, he had a magical early experience seeing Prine play a small sports bar:

    “... John Prine's playing at this place? ...It was like, you know, 20 of us filled up the place...John Prine is playing like, this is incredible. And then it never, never happened again...But it was enough to make us stay.” (24:45–26:30)

7. New Album: Nature of Necessity — Embracing Imperfection

• How Adam Feels About the Release:

  • Values feedback from respected peers:

    “People whose opinions I care about seem to appreciate that this record was made and is available and that means a lot.” (27:21)

  • Aspires to keep the spirit of independent craft:

    “The idea of the success of an independent release to me is the fact that you released it...You make a plan, however humble...That’s the best you can do.” (28:08)

• Artistic Process: Chasing Imperfection and Humanity:

  • Wright insists on recording live, with minimal editing, warts and all:

    “Everything had to be one pass, unedited, warts and all live with it...Once you start recording that way and listening to things that way, it's hard not to keep going down that path. The flaws are what become interesting and sometimes beautiful.” (29:50)

  • Recording with bass (Glenn Worf) and drums (Matt Chamberlain), no overdubs or fixing:

    “Nothing was coming to save us, this was it. Like, if something had to be big, we have to make it big, and that's it...” (30:49) “There are some vocal things that, you know, if we weren't recording like this, if this had not been our philosophy, I would absolutely have fixed or an engineer would have fixed without even telling me, you know, but we wanted it to be flawed. We wanted to be good...but there are things that are wrong with parts of it...And there's something about that that I like...I like to hear performances, and I like to hear some humanity. And when it's not in music, I just. Is hard to get interested, man. For me, at this point.” (30:49–32:55)

8. “Poet Laureate” — On Songwriting and Staying Humble

• Buzz’s Question: How does it feel to be called “the poet laureate of Music Row”?
• Wright’s Response:
  • Typical self-deprecating humor:

    “My dog is the poet laureate of pooping on my floor in the middle of the night...But also, my dog is the poet laureate of pooping on the floor in the middle of the night.” (33:11–34:25)

  • But also, pride:

    “I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it felt really good...I’m flattered. But also, my dog is the poet laureate of pooping on the floor in the middle of the night.” (33:36–34:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You take one of those little things away and then you’re not where you are anymore.” — Adam Wright (07:21)
• “My regret is just that silly one of not doing a shot of whiskey with Bob Dylan...” — Buzz Knight (09:02)
• “It’s like this musical cauldron is just always boiling. [Sierra Hull] just seems, like, always ready to spew musical brilliance.” — Adam Wright (10:39)
• “He’s on the short list of the most brilliant songwriters, no doubt.” — Adam Wright on Randy Newman (14:42)
• “Leonard Cohen’s the hardware department. Like, you can get hurt in there. It’s pretty serious, man.” — Adam Wright (16:28)
• “It excited me...There are some vocal things that...I would absolutely have fixed...but we wanted it to be flawed. We wanted to be good...I like to hear performances and I like to hear some humanity.” — Adam Wright (30:49–32:55)
• “My dog is the poet laureate of pooping on my floor in the middle of the night.” — Adam Wright (33:36)

Noteworthy Timestamps

• 00:01 – Adam’s opening philosophy on music’s need for humanity
• 04:57 – Adam’s literary hero and “walk with anyone” answer: James Joyce
• 07:21 – On regret and the value of every twist in the path
• 09:02 – Buzz’s story: Regrets not sharing whiskey with Bob Dylan
• 10:39 – Working with Sierra Hull; describing her creative energy
• 11:36–13:12 – Adam on the blossoming musicianship in bluegrass/country
• 13:57–14:52 – Randy Newman collaboration and the top songwriters list
• 16:28–18:43 – Dissecting Leonard Cohen’s writing and emotional impact
• 24:45–26:30 – The magical John Prine bar gig moment
• 27:21–28:08 – Reflections on “success” and releasing Nature of Necessity
• 29:50–32:55 – Embracing imperfection, live recording philosophy
• 33:11–34:25 – Humble, humorous take on being called a “poet laureate”

Tone and Style

• The conversation is witty, honest, and peppered with self-deprecating humor—Adam is earnest but never self-serious.
• Buzz plays the role of both fan and fellow music devotee, keeping the conversation personal, engaging, and rooted in love for music’s stories.

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a revealing look into Adam Wright’s songwriting mind: a creative who prioritizes authenticity over commercial polish, who treats imperfection as beauty, and who constantly seeks the true, human core in music. Nature of Necessity is not just an album title—it sums up Adam’s belief in art’s need to be real, personal, and lived-in. For songwriters, musicians, and fans who value soul over surface, this episode is a resonant and inspiring listen.