Interview with Adakain; Lead Singer and Guitarist Ryan Ray Discusses Writing, Recording, Tattoos and New Album ‘Never Coming Home’

The Dallas, Texas-based quartet, Adakain, has been making waves with their solid blend of catchy hard rock and dirty, groovy metal as found on their new album Never Coming Home, out today, Friday November 6th (purchase on iTunes and Google Play). Fresh off a tour with Trapt‬ and ‪First Decree‬, we caught up with lead singer and guitarist Ryan Ray to learn more about this potent group!

For those not familiar with your band can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?
Ray: Sure! We’re a Dallas, TX-based band and we live to perform. We like sports and staying healthy, we listen to and talk about music constantly, and we love playing shows and attending them as well. We know our role in this world, and that is to provide entertainment and release for everyone from their daily grind, and we’re happy to do it.

Your new LP Never Coming Home is about to be released. Now that it is complete, how do you feel about it, and what has been the response so far?
Ray: The response has been nothing short of amazing! People seem to genuinely like what they’re hearing, and we couldn’t be happier with the response so far.

What is your writing process like?
Ray: We go into it with at least 40 song ideas on guitar, and lyrical concepts that we want to talk about, then simply whittle them down to what you hear now. It’s very organic.

When you write do you do so with the live setting in mind or do you write a song just for the song’s sake?
Ray: Both – we take each song on its on merit and it develops from there.

What’s the story behind the name of the band?
Ray: Ah, if I told you I’d have to kill you. ;o) No, but really, it’s meant to suggest the music is addictive, or maybe we stole it from an out of production erectile dysfunction medication….

What is the story behind the name of the new LP?
Ray: “Never Coming Home” can mean different things to different people: Like us never coming home from tour, a soldier never coming home from war, or a father or mother that abandoned a child or family and is never coming home. We think everyone that hears it can relate, just differently depending on their own personal experience.

You have toured the U.S. It there anywhere you would like to go that you have not been, especially outside the U.S.?
Ray: Germany. Everywhere else too, we want to see the world and meet everyone! We can’t wait to expand our touring base outside the U.S. – we will when the timing is right.

Check out song “Hey Girl” here.

What’s the Rock scene like in Dallas? Do you receive a lot of support from your local scene and fans in general?
Ray: The rock scene in Dallas is stronger than ever, and we do receive a lot of support. It’s a great place to live and play live!

Do you have any rituals before you hit the stage? If so, what are they?
Ray: We just make sure to warm up, talk to each other about what we’re going to do (i.e. how much fun we’re going to have and ass we’re going to kick!), stretch out, and then go kill it.

Do you have any touring plans in support of the new recording?
Ray: We’re on tour with Trapt right now, then after Christmas we plan to be on tour as much of 2016 as possible!

What is the strangest thing that has happened to you on tour, or at one of your shows?
Ray: We had a girl offer to buy every piece of merch we had if our guitar tech gave her his shirt. She of course flaked out.

What has been the most memorable moment of your career so far?
Ray: A fan emailed us and said that our album and lyrics were the only thing that kept him from taking his life one lonely night. That’s fucking heavy information, and we have since developed a relationship with this person, and do not take it lightly that our music was there for them in that dark moment.

When, where and what was your first tattoo?
Ray: Me personally, my first tattoo was on the top of my back, and it’s an awful tribal thing. Yuck.

Do any of your tattoos have a particularly special meaning behind them? If so, do share man!
Ray: My left arm is the dark side of me (see photo), and will be complimented by the right side when I get it done.

Do you have a specific shop or artist that you frequent (insert shameless plug time!)?
Ray: Most of my work was done by Mike Bernstein at Fine Line Tattoo in Mesquite, TX.

Check out song “We Crawl” here.