Holler Live Sessions: Adam Doleac

Adam Doleac's sound and has indisputably changed in the years since he made his debut in 2017.

From the soaring country-soul of early hits like 'Whiskey's Fine' to the synth-country that peppers his 2022 debut record Barstool Whiskey Wonderland, Doleac has found his place by constantly mixing it up - concocting a cocktail of emotions that, more than anything, shows his flexibility and maturity as a songwriter.

Arriving in London for the first time for his Holler Live Session, the candidness of a stripped-back set such as this allows Doleac to exhibit just how all the songs he writes all possess something in common; heart.

"This first one I'm going to play for you is called 'Coulda Loved You Longer'" Doleac begins. "I wrote this song about my wife - who's here with me today - but also, being in new places and meeting new people, I often feel that way about people I love, or places I love; I wish I could've been there sooner. I'm sure I'm going to feel that way about London".

MacKinnon Morrissey, Doleac's wife, watches on from the side of the bar room. She is the soul that nestles within his songwriting; the love he has for her pours out of his music, actually making his songwriting more accessible and relatable to any situation.

What's most telling though is how life and love allows Doleac to grow creatively; he thinks outside the box and takes influence from loved ones in a more tangible, expressive way.

"The story behind this one is one of my favourites actually" Doleac continues as he introduces his second song. "I'd just met my girlfriend, now wife, and she was walking down the stairs. My little brother was in town, and he'd only seen her in workout clothes, he hadn't seen her dressed up before"

"So, she was all dressed up - we were taking him out for his birthday - and she came walking down the stairs, he turned around and said 'damn, you look famous! Normally, I'm supposed to be the famous person or whatever, and I liked that it turned it on her and she looked famous".

"The story would also be better if I was the one telling my girlfriend that she looked famous" he laughs, "but it was my brother - that's the truth - and that's how i got this title. It ended up being my first gold record as a country artist, so thank you for that!"

While some of the sounds on Doleac's debut record may be different from his earlier recordings, when he plays an older hit like 'Whiskey's Fine', you recognise the lineage that's led him to writing something like 'Drinkin' It Wrong' or even 'Close That Tab'. His songs have become tall boys of country soul with a little zesty tequila-pop on top, and we're going to keep on sippin'.

Performing his songs 'Coulda Loved You Longer', 'Famous' and 'Whiskey's Fine', this is Adam Doleac for the Holler Live Sessions.