Press Kit

High Resolution Photos:

Bio:

The music of Adam Sweeney & the Jamboree is like “The Sound of Silence” after the band kicks in: all jangle and harmony, poppy yet literary, brooding and celebratory all at the same time. As a songwriter Sweeney has one foot planted firmly in the folk revivalist tradition, while the other seems to have landed somewhere a bit more edgy, a bit more indie, a bit more electric.

Sweeney’s songs are one part Dylan, one part Simon. Half the time they are poetic vignettes and character-driven narratives in the vein of Josh Ritter or Nebraska-era Springsteen, while the other half is obliquely imagistic and steeped in metaphor, with lyrics akin to those of Jeff Tweedy or Michael Stipe.

But it’s his backing band, The Jamboree, that lifts the music out of the folk singer-songwriter realm and plants it squarely on a rock foundation – with intricate lead guitar work by Jeremie Murphin; Brooklyn-to-Portland transplant Katie Sawicki on banjo and backing vocals; multi-instrumentalist David Fuller on accordion, percussion and atmospheric electrics; Zachary Pace on bass and a rotating cast of drummers including Patrick Hughes (Mnemonic), Peter Van Dyck (The Amity Front), Paul DeMichelle (The Beautiful Trainwrecks), and Jonathan Behr (Anticipate Pie).

While the band is in the midst of recording their debut album, Sweeney has two solo folk records available: Technicolor Halo (2007) and Places & Names (2004).

Quotes:

“Adam Sweeney is blessed… with an impeccable folkie lineup, wary resolution of the tunes, and the determined conflict and recovery of wry and sweet lyrics.”
–Suzi Steffen, Eugene Weekly

“Portland provides more folk/rock fuse delight via Adam Sweeney, whose quavering voice and electric spin on traditional folk dishes out something different.”
-–Monterey County Weekly

“Drawing comparisons to Dave Carter and Gillian Welch, as well as folk revival poets like Paul Simon and Cat Stevens.”
–Northeast Performer

“Listing Dave Carter and Josh Ritter as major influences, Sweeney is one of a handful of young artists redefining purely American music and introducing it to a whole new generation. 

His lyrics are complex and comprehensible at the same time. A masterful storyteller, he weaves together words that might not always rhyme but accompanied by his gently strummed guitar or twangingly plunk banjo, are easy to sing along to.”
–Tony Engelhart, Weekly Volcano

“Melting some electric noise into his traditional folk and country sound… and also sprinkled with a bit of folk spirituality.”
–OregonMusicNews.com

“One of the hard working and talented vanguard of a new generation of folk musicians.”
–Tom May, River City Folk, WFMT Fine Arts Radio

“Adam Sweeney is a promising young folksinger… he combines intricate acoustic guitar hooks with powerful lyric storytelling.”
–Passim Magazine

“Adam Sweeney’s sincere songwriting mixes impressionistic imagery, religious iconography and the kind of strikingly personal observations that seem lifted from a letter to a friend. That lyrical blend is delivered through appealing melodies and expressive singing, with a hint of grain to it that sometimes suggests a violin bow drawn tenderly over his vocal cords.”
–Willamette Week (Portland, OR)

“A true folksinger… he weaves his words together telling stories of the times.”
–The Southeast Examiner (Portland, OR)

“Great voice! Powerful, provocative.”
–Portland Songwriters’ Association, voted “Best Songwriter” at January Showcase 2004