June 13, 2026

Interview with BACKdigit Magazine

I recently interviewed with BACKdigit Magazine in Italy. You can read the Italian translation on their site. Here is a translated excerpt from their article followed by my original English language responses to their questions.

"Today, we present an in-depth interview with Adam De Lucia, centered on his most recent 2025 releases—including '8 Out,' '96 Heartbeats Per Minute,' and 'Cycle One'—works that demonstrate a strong focus on conceptual composition, stylistic cross-pollination, and sonic exploration."

—BACKdigit Magazine

BACKdigit: In your most recent works, the compositional concept seems to come before the musical genre itself. How important is it for you to begin with a narrative or philosophical idea before developing a jazz structure?

AD: I appreciate how your observation demonstrates a familiarity with my body of work. The compositions begin with true inspiration: I sing what I hear into a recording. Although this is not a well-established scientific theory, I believe music is a language that takes root and grows in the brain, which is healthy and natural. A good book on the subject is Language, Music, and the Brain: A Mysterious Relationship by Strüngmann Forum Reports. Some painters and illustrators think in visual images. Some people think in an inner voice, or monologue. When I'm inspired I think music.

After capturing the germ of an idea, my job as a composer is to flesh out the details. Is it the beginning, the middle, or the end of a song? Is it a beat, a bass line, a melody, or voice leading for a harmony? What instrument do I want to play it? As inspiration gives way to an understanding of the composition and arrangement—in form and content—I have insight into the genesis of the idea. Regarding a narrative or philosophical idea, truth in the work of art has a rich history of speaking to the world and times of the people it shares culture with. In the distant past, art patronage depended on the ruling class: nobles and clergy. In modern times, artists who can afford to produce their work independently are free from the imposition of others' narratives and philosophies on their work. Simply put, both the narrative and the structure are organic. Any genre convention is incidental. It is based on my formal education, how my choices are informed by what I discerned from the music I delved into, and the significant skills and talents the team brings to the record. I have no intention of conforming to genre.

BACKdigit: 8 Out was inspired by reflections on power and the concept of time limits. How do political or social themes influence your creative process and the way you shape a piece sonically?

AD: I was a person before I was a musician. Like anyone who is intellectually honest, political and social themes are a part of everyday life. Identifying themes that are larger than my own life and finding ways to create that truth in the work rather than make the work incidental to my artistic identity is vital to what I do in music. From one point of view, it is fair to say that each song of mine has a different sonic. I see progressions and connections among the songs I've produced, but it can be lost on someone without my privileged access to the creative process. Using "8 Out" as one example, I used the piano forte and eight double stops in the pre-chorus on guitar to convey a sense of discord. I joked with someone in the band that I was feeling the Ty Webb zen with the rhythm I set on the guitar delay there. You can say each double stop corresponds to a year in the presidential term limit: two four-year terms. That tension is contrasted with the release of the quiet moments with the synth pad, and the uplifting sounds and arrangement of the choir pad. The way Michael Ghegan played the tenor sax melody I wrote sounds lyrical.

BACKdigit: You have cited influences ranging from Miles Davis to Curtis Mayfield. How do you transform these inspirations into something original rather than simply creating homage or nostalgia?

AD: My friends tease me that I'm not a professional musician. Some of that is the logical conclusion of not earning my living from music. Although I used to teach at a couple of studios, I found a way of existing that is more conducive to how I want to make music than the hustle culture of having multiple revenue streams from performing as a leader and sideman, recording as a leader and session player, teaching, selling merchandise, any royalties, and other opportunities. Being outside the gig economy has brought me more freedom, both creatively and financially. Apropos, my view is somewhat contrarian. Because music is a language, I listen to others' ideas without obsessing over analysis and imitation. A philosopher reads others' work, but does not create sentence diagrams in order to understand the work better because they have their own thing to say. The closest equivalent in philosophy is symbolic logic, which led to computing. I'm not looking to become an art making machine. I don't deny owning a Real Book, a Charlie Parker Omnibook, studying music theory, and delving into the analysis of compositions and solos, including what transcribing I've done. However, I assume I've done it—and obsessed over it—way less than most professional musicians. I'm ultimately interested in how music feels. Having a feel for the vernacular of the musical language is more constructive to that end than intellectualizing it.

BACKdigit: In Cycle One, you used the circle of fifths as a compositional framework, exploring every key within a single musical architecture. What was the greatest challenge in making such a complex theoretical idea accessible to listeners?

AD: First, I did not realize the original idea of writing a song in every key. I would not say I failed. Instead, it sounded better in fewer keys, and restraint prevented a forced or contrived concept from overshadowing how the song feels. The considerable key changes were the greatest challenge. To the extent that it is accessible to listeners, it resulted from trusting my ears, getting the right players to record it, and a great engineer to mix it.

BACKdigit: Beyond being a guitarist and composer, you are deeply involved in producing your own projects. To what extent has studio work become an essential part of your artistic identity?

AD: It's really all I do. It's not as strange as it sounds when you remember that some of the most successful bands in history went long stretches as a studio band; for example, Steely Dan for most of their initial success from 1972 - 1980, and the Beatles later in their career as a group.

BACKdigit: Your recent recordings feature musicians from diverse musical backgrounds. When choosing collaborators, do you look for stylistic compatibility or for personalities capable of challenging your ideas?

AD: Almost everyone I work with is from the 55 Bar scene in NYC. Originally, I went there regularly to see the Wayne Krantz trio, which is how I got to know Tim Lefebvre. I also saw Rudder and the Chris Tarry Group there, besides other venues. I got to know Henry Hey at that time from his work with both bands. Chris introduced me to Jordan Perlson around 2010. Henry introduced me to Chrissi Poland in 2024, and, in the same year, Tim introduced me to Donny McCaslin. Most of the people in the band are musical chameleons with jazz backgrounds. They can and often do play anything. Also, many of them have a long history of working together, which certainly helps with stylistic compatibility.

I heard No Mystery by Return To Forever around 1997, which blew the door open on jazz fusion for me. Among other genres, bands, and recording periods, I fell in love with how the music sounded by Miles Davis from 1969 - 1975, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, and RTF. When I first heard the people I play with now, it felt like the natural extension of the music that got me interested to begin with.

BACKdigit: Contemporary jazz is constantly evolving and increasingly interacts with other musical languages. How do you balance artistic exploration with the desire to reach a broader audience?

AD: The closest fit in the music industry to what I do is jazz fusion, which is a niche genre. I don't expect to reach a broad audience. I believe strongly in prioritizing authenticity, which, for me, means making music without any extrinsic motivation. I'm not interested in using music to accomplish something else. Exploring my ideas and seeing what I have in me to produce them at the highest quality I'm capable of is my only measure of success. Anything after that is a bonus.

BACKdigit: After these recent releases, marked by strong conceptual and experimental elements, what musical territories are you most interested in exploring in the years ahead?

AD: In the near to midterm, I would like to explore the interplay of group improvisation by getting the right people in the same room at the same time.

BACKdigit Magazine article: https://backdigit.com/adam-and-the-music-intervista-ad-adam-de-lucia/