What happens when a proper Englishman like seasoned musician Barry Adamson finds himself jumping back and forth across the pond? He inevitably falls in love with New York City-- and the love affair lasts for decades.

psychoPEDIA had the chance to meet with Adamson during his most recent visit, and what’s most apparent is that New York City was, and is still is, an inspiration and muse to producing new music.

“I’ve been coming to New York for 30 years. I was 18 the first time I came and it was the greatest thing ever!” says Adamson. Since the late ‘70s, he’s seen and done it all; from gritty rock bands to elegant compositions for movie soundtracks, Adamson’s scope is vast and deep. His start began with such acts as Magazine and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, with the former being a direct conduit: “I was in a band at the time, we came and played at Danceteria. It was amazing; the whole thing of getting on a plane and going. It really seemed like a big foreign place. At the time it was coming off the back end of '70s New York. It was really scary, hardcore and tough, with loads of crime.” He adds, “Andy Warhol came to Danceteria and saw us play too! I just about died and went to heaven.”

Brilliant minds blossom in New York City, and Adamson had the chance to meet some of the most interesting and perform with some the most talented, including, Talking Heads, Blondie, and Television. There were many a night where their shows segued into legendary parties where the guest-list read like a who’s-who. Of one particular evening, Adamson recalls, “One of the greatest moments in my life [was] when I was taking a piss and looking down and seeing a pair of Converse shoes. I looked at the Converse, then looked at the legs, then looked at the face, and it turned out to be Joey Ramone. He looked at me and said, ‘How you doin’ kid?’ and I said, ‘Great!’ with a big smile on my face, and then I just went back to taking a piss! It was really sweet and just surreal.”

Through his years, relationships with legendary filmmaker, David Lynch, led to Adamson’s contribution to scoring the soundtrack to Lynch’s Lost Highway and a handful of additional film and television credits. Of late, Adamson’s been locked away in yet another studio. But this time his focus is on his own solo efforts, with the release of Back to the Cat, a ten-track LP out on his own label, Central Control.

In his 30 years of travel, Adamson has seen plenty of changes in his home-away-from-home: “Every three to five years, everything changes! Still today, I was noticing it. It’s really weird that the Twin Towers are gone. It’s still such a shock. I remember the first time coming, a year after they went down, and flying in and being blown away. The scale of it was immense.” And he's tested out the city's hotel world: from his days of crashing at the Iroquois-- “a rock ‘n roll type hotel, [where] you’d see Iggy Pop at the bar and other rock notables wandering around,” to the Paramount, another favorite spot where he stays on his current visit to his beloved city.

Adamson never ceases to be inspired by Manhattan’s Lower East Side, where he remembers getting his hands on some stylish threads: “There is something about the tradition, like in rock and jazz, and you can get great suits. I think New Yorkers have this edge, where they say, ‘This is who I am, this is how I’m going to present myself, and even if I have no money, I’m going to put this together, and you’re going to notice me! That’s been a real influence on my life. New York is a particular thing and you have to stand out and find something that makes you special. The New York style is and always was amazing.” And as for his preferred band: “I do really like Secret Machines. I always love to throw on their album Now Here is Nowhere” Clearly, New York City has and always will be Adamson's loyal mistress.

~Jessica McMenamin