Powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Adrianna Freeman recently spoke to us about her music and what to expect from her.
You have been singing since you were young—what is the earliest memory or experience you have of wanting to become a musician?
As far back as I can remember I wanted to be a singer. I used to sing in front of my grandparent’s roadside farmer’s market when I was little. I remember being happy that the customers would smile and tell me how good I sounded. It would always make me smile and have a feeling of butterflies in my stomach.
Is the narrative that follows Sally and Meek’s relationship in “The Price” inspired by a real-life relationship or experience? Where did you draw inspiration from?
A lot of my music comes from and or is inspired by really life. The song tells the tale of a husband and wife’s relationship that has gone wrong. So many times, when divorce occurs couples can find themselves in bitter battles. In each case, the parties must choose which path they will take. Do I end the relationship with grace, or do I choose wrath? When a person lets anger turn into wrath, it can drive some people to do unspeakable things. So the Price is meant to be a cautionary tale of what can happen when lovers are scorned and they choose a dark path.
What was your recording process like for this song? Was the process different from other songs you have made previously?
This was probably one of the hardest songs I have recorded to date. The original recording was over 5 minutes long and it just didn’t do it for me- something was missing. I struggled trying to fuse delta blues and traditional country without one overtaking the other. Also, the lyrics were just too long, so it made the story drag a little. I rewrote the song several times until I was satisfied that the lyrics captured the message. I cut the song 2 other times before and almost abandoned the song out of frustration but decided to give it one more shot. I worked with my producer (Bill McDermott) to find just the right balance, the musicians knocked it out of the park, and The Price single was born.
Who did you work with to bring the music video to life and what was the production process like?
I worked with JB Lawrence, he is awesome. I love working with JB. He made me feel comfortable and really got my vision from day one. The idea of the video came to me over a year ago. I truly believe it was God because when we were finished shooting the video it resembled a mini movie. The video has been called a cinematic event. There are so many twists and turns, and the locations really made the music video feel exciting and authentic. It is so short it is over before you know it, and then you have to go back and watch it again to catch everything that happened.
Did you run into any challenges or surprises along the way? How did you overcome these challenges to best execute your vision?
Yes, there were several challenges we had to overcome to make this video happen. We needed to find locations to shoot and that was no easy task. We wanted to make the video feel like it was back in the day, so finding authentic locations was nothing short of a miracle. I have to give a huge shout-out to the city of Monticello, FL, and the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners for allowing us to shoot the video in the Old Monticello Jail. It gave the video just the right look and feel. We were meticulous in making sure everything from the costumes to the old dirt crossroads was authentic to the time. There was also the weather we had to contend with. It was raining while we were shooting the outdoor crossroad scenes and of course, we were out in the country so the “can’t see em’s” was in full effect. You real country folks will know what I am talking about. It took a herculean effort to get the video shot in just 2 days, but we did it!
As a cautionary tale, what do you hope audiences will take away from “The Price?”
To never let your anger drive you to a place where you cannot come back from and all that glitters ain’t gold.
Is there something fans should know about you that they might not already know? What drives you to keep making music?
Some of my fans that have been with me from the beginning know how hard I have struggled in this industry; it isn’t easy to stay positive when the thing you are trying to accomplish looks impossible. I actually quit making music for almost 10 years. My Father Ed Freeman wrote a book about my life as a musician called Our Nashville Experience. Not many people know that there is also an audiobook with music from my earlier days when I first went to Nashville. You can find out more about it on my website.
What’s coming up next for Adrianna Freeman? Do you have any releases coming up soon?
Hopefully I can raise enough money to get out there to see some of the fans this year both in the US and across the pond. Until then, I am going to keep making the music I want to make. I hope to release my sophomore album called “Lessons I’ve Learned” later this year, so fans will have to stay tuned to see.
Watch the music video for ‘The Price’ below, and follow Adrianna Freeman online for more about her music on her official website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
