Adam DeGraide
An interview with the A.D.A.M. Music Project founder
by Randy Radic
“Fame,” the new single from Jacksonville, Florida’s A.D.A.M. Music Project (AMP), explores the upshot of what happens when online fame becomes an obsession. Inspired by the rise and fall of Mizkif, Ice Poseidon, and Dr. Disrespect, the song delves into the cost of renown and follows on the heels of previous single, “Punch Out,” which hit Billboard’s Top 40 Mainstream Rock chart.
Founded by Adam DeGraide, AMP revolves around the concept of collaboration using numerous gifted artists. Inspired by video game characters from both new and old games, AMP’s sound is at once powerful and diverse. DeGraide describes the project as the “Kool & The Gang of hard rock.”
I spoke with DeGraide about the success of “Punch Out,” how A.D.A.M. Music Project came together, and his gear.
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Randy Radic: Your single “Punch Out” made it into the Top 40 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. What inspired the song?
Adam DeGraide: “Punch Out” is a relentless battle cry that was directly inspired by the classic Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! video game. I wanted to capture that same intensity and determination you feel when you’re in the ring, facing down seemingly impossible opponents. The song hits with jarring guitars and anthemic choruses that mirror the one-two punch action of the game itself.
We really leaned into that retro arcade energy, and the music video reflects that with nods to both Rocky and those classic 8-bit gaming vibes — it’s pure chaos and fun. There’s something about that underdog fighter mentality from the game that resonates with a lot of people, and I think that’s why the song connected with rock fans. It’s about standing your ground and fighting back, no matter how outmatched you might seem!
How, where, and when did the A.D.A.M. Music Project get together?
A.D.A.M. Music Project really grew out of my years of experience in the music industry and my lifelong passion for gaming. After launching Astonish Entertainment back in 2006 and working with bands like No More Kings, where we created that viral hit “Sweep the Leg” about The Karate Kid that helped inspire Cobra Kai, I started seeing this gap in the market where gaming and music could intersect.
The project officially came together when I realized I was spending three-to-five hours a day gaming and constantly hearing these incredible soundscapes and character stories that would translate perfectly into music. I founded AMP on the principle that collaboration creates the best music, so rather than being a traditional band, I built it as a collective where I could team up with diverse vocalists and musicians who shared that same passion for both gaming and music.
It started in my studio, where I’d be jamming out riffs inspired by characters from games like Apex Legends and Sonic the Hedgehog, and then I’d bring in the right vocalist or musician to help bring each song’s story to life. That collaborative approach has been the heart of the band from day one.
Who is in the A.D.A.M. Music Project?
Well, first off, it’s me, Adam DeGraide. I’m the guy behind the A.D.A.M. Music Project, and I pretty much play everything, but not on every song. Guitar, electric, bass, keys, synths — you name it. I can play drums too, but most of the time I end up programming them. The genesis always starts with me.
Then it’s our killer band who brings it all to life. We have rotating lead singers at AMP. Gabe Aranda and Brandon Frazier switch back and forth, while Lacy Saunders performs at most shows. Dameon Aranda or Jay Gleason shred on lead guitar. Dameon may sometimes fill in for bass, and Jeff Hall crushes it on drums. It’s a team effort on stage! We’ve had some other insane guitarists jump in, too: Eric Gillette, Neil DeGraide from Dirt Poor Robins, and Tyler Anderson from Coupe Marra.
Everyone brings their own flavor, and that’s what makes the project so exciting.
Let’s talk gear. First things first: what’s your current setup?
It depends on what instrument I’m playing. But if we’re talking about guitar, I’m a huge PRS fan, and a Gibson fan as well. I use Martin and acoustic guitars, but PRS is my main go-to.
What one piece of gear do you use to obtain your signature sound?
I’m a HeadRush guy, so I use the HeadRush FX to choose the modeling for my modeling amps and my different sounds. Most of the time, I’ll grab some of their presets and tweak them, or sometimes I’ll build a custom sound from the models available. I’m a big believer in keeping it simple, so that has been a huge benefit to us — the HeadRush FX.
How did you come to possess this piece of equipment? Vintage shop, regular shop, borrowed money, gifted? Give us the details.
I just bought it from Sweetwater Sound. My brother Neil from Dirt Poor Robins actually turned me on to the HeadRush FX. He was tired of hauling around a bunch of pedalboards — and who the heck wasn’t? He told me to check it out, I did, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Now we both use it and swear by it.
We know you love this piece of gear, but are there any major cons? (Okay, you can also list the pros.)
Yeah, the major con is that people still get hung up on the whole “modeler versus real amp” debate.
The nice thing is that even if the sound on the modeler gets you to only 85-90% of what the actual vintage analog gear would, the trade-off is totally worth it. With the HeadRush, you have so many more choices, and you can really shape the sound dramatically. I can grab a head from over here, a cab from over there, different pedals, stack effects from all over the place, and put it all together. This is stuff that would be so expensive to do in the real world. If you can get 90-95% of the way there sonically with a modeler, why not do that? So that’s the con: not being truly analog.
The pros are what I just mentioned — the ease of use, and the ability to mix and match different things to create your own unique sound makes it awesome.
What brand do you usually lean towards when looking up new options?
When I’m looking for new options for gear, I look at everything, but like I said, PRS is the first place I’ll look for a guitar.
Then, I own Fender basses. I primarily record the bass with a Fender. I also have some cool vintage guitars that are made from scratch by hand from a guy out of Seattle. The guitar is called a Walla Walla. It’s wild — he actually makes the guitars out of driftwood that wash up on the ocean shore. They are so cool to play. In fact, the Walla Walla is the guitar that I’m playing in our most recent music video for “Punch Out.”
What brand of drums does your drummer play? Which cymbals, sticks, and hardware?
I have no idea!!! That’s my answer.
Destroying instruments on stage: yay or nay?
Not a big fan of that. So, nope.
What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done with a musical instrument?
I think the worst thing that I’ve ever done to a musical instrument wasn’t actually done by me. It was done by one of my kids when they were young. I was leaning the guitar up against the wall. I didn’t put it on the stand. It’s my own fault. Baby came in, smacked the guitar, busted the neck. That was not a lot of fun. It was a $3,600 guitar, too.
What setup did you spend the most time idolizing as a kid growing up?
Growing up, my favorite setup was by a guitar player named Ty Tabor, from the rock band King’s X. I thought that his sound was wild.
He’d actually cover up his amp settings on stage so nobody could see what he was doing. That kind of mystery was so cool to me. You end up idolizing it even more because you don’t know exactly how he pulled it off.
What setup do you think serves musicians like yourself the most in the style of music you play?
It really depends on what I’m playing. I don’t know about all musicians, but for me, with all the variety and complexity in what we do, having a solid guitar processor and a killer guitar you love is essential. That combo just makes everything easier. It’s easy for travel. You can bring it around with you. Makes it a heck of a lot easier than carrying what I used to have to carry.
Time for some fun. Give us your best “gear goes wrong” story.
The best gear gone wrong story — another con of having a processor that you use, even on stage. I give my guitar tech the HeadRush, it’s all set up. It has the entire set list in order, and all I have to do is click “up, up, up” throughout the entire set, and everything’s going to be perfect.
But somehow, right before showtime, he managed to break it. Two minutes before we hit the stage, I had to reset everything back to factory defaults. So that whole show, I was on the fly and figuring out where the sounds and effects were.
It was a pain in the ass, but we got through it.
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Along with making kick-ass music, AMP heads up DeGraide’s independent label Astonish Entertainment, LLC, whose roster includes No More Kings and Aranda. A.D.A.M. Music Project is gearing up to hit the road in 2026. Find tour dates on AMP’s bandsintown page.
Featured photo is courtesy of Illustrated Sounds.
