Though their name may be new to many, the members of Adam & The Armadillos are no strangers to the music scene. With years of collective experience under their belts, the trio came together in late 2022 with the goal of paying homage to the traditional country music that shaped them. With their debut EP, Another Round, they did just that.
Comprised of six honky tonk tunes soaked in steel guitar and strong harmonies, the band have proven themselves to be unapologetic flag flyers for traditional country music, and with thousands of streams across platforms, people are taking notice.
We chatted with frontman Adam Yarger about getting with The Armadillos, all about Another Round, hitting the road and more!
Pro Country: In the past several years, you’ve had a good handful of solo releases. Why did you feel it was the right time in late 2022 to get with a band and form Adam & the Armadillos?
Adam Yarger: I was doing the solo thing for a long time. I feel like when you have a band presence, that elevates the experience for everyone. I felt like I wanted a change as well; to try something new by bringing Brandon and Alex in. Personally, I feel like my last name is hard for people to get right, and getting the name right is pretty crucial in this business [laughs]. I’m really glad we made the transition to a band and have Adam & the Armadillos now, because the vibe of everything is different; it’s more of what I want to do.
PC: You’ve mentioned that you met your bandmates, Brandon Deamer and Alex Sterbenz, through your wife. Can you talk about the chemistry you all felt together and the influences that you’ve drawn on to create the band’s sound?
AY: Alex’s grandfather was a radio DJ, so he was influenced by classic stuff like Hank Sr., Hank Snow and Marty Robbins. You could sit down with Alex and have a whole conversation about that era of country music. He’s a big vinylhead too, and that’s an automatic in with me, because I love listening to vinyl. I love the old stuff, and I’m a huge fan of Marty Robbins, myself.
Both Alex and Brandon have been in various different bands leading up to this, as well. Before this, they were playing rock music, and I think both of them have been in hip hop bands. Brandon was also in a hardcore band. They’ve been seasoned in a lot of different genres, but this is their intro into playing country music.
PC: “One of Those” is about a year old now, and was the first song you released as a band. Why did you feel that was the right song to introduce The Armadillos with?
AY: In the year leading up to the release, we were playing downtown State College weekly. At first, we would start on Monday at midnight until 2am, and I thought there was no way that central PA and Penn State would have a country crowd. It took about a month or two, but we started to really build a big following. It seemed like with all of that experience, this big, almost Friday-anthem song would be appropriate for who we are and what we represent. We aim for a Midland vibe; a good ol’ honky tonk American sound. We thought with the way that song turned out, it was the perfect intro to the world.
PC: “Another Round” is a honky tonk song that kicks off its EP. What drew you to have “Another Round” to serve as the title track for the EP?
AY: We had a handful of new songs, and prior to the guys and I getting together, I’d put out music in 2020. Unfortunately, it was the week of Covid: Friday the 13th, March of 2020. I had a big acoustic tour, a whole bunch of CDs printed, and couldn’t follow through with any of it. We all felt that the whole project had a lot of great songs. Since we’re turning the page in my career, we wanted to release the new songs we had, and then we pulled two songs that we had and give them another shot, or another round, if you will, with the world.
PC: As lovers of steel-soaked ballads, “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” is our favorite song on Another Round, and is a song you solo-wrote. Can you take us in your head and in the room as the song came together?
AY: I lived in Nashville from 2014 to 2020 when Covid came. I was 19 when I moved to town, so I really didn’t understand how it worked. The first two years, I was writing, crafting and figuring out how to do all of that. I started doing acoustic shows with a guy I’d become friends with. I was seeing somebody, and I thought I needed a song that explained, for me, being gone and holding on to “I love yous.” A song that said, “let me go get this road work done and then it’ll be even sweeter when I get there.”
PC: “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me” has earned nearly 50,000 streams on Spotify alone and is the Armadillos’ top-streamed song so far. What do you think it is about the song that has allowed it to connect with listeners the way it has?
AY: That song has grabbed a lot of peoples’ attention. Even in the last few weeks up at Penn State, people have been asking us to play it because it’s their favorite song on the EP. Everybody loves a good party song, but I think what has allowed that song to have success is that it’s slightly different. It’s a flip title. Listeners automatically think one thing, and then when you actually listen through, you realize it isn’t in a negative light.
PC: The single art for “She’s Already Gone” features several George Jones records, while the lyrics also make mentions of several Jones songs. With that in mind, what is your favorite George Jones song?
AY: “Same Ole Me” is one of my go-tos. It’s got such a great sound to it. It’s easy to listen to, there’s a great message in it about getting older but still being the same dude. I also love “Something to Brag About,” a duet with Loretta. I was super excited how that song came together, and just as excited to exercise my Photoshop skills with the cover [laughs].
PC: Kent Wells, a frequent collaborator and producer with Dolly Parton, produced Another Round. What is it like working with and collaborating in the studio with someone who has Kent’s level of success and respect in the industry?
AY: We started our relationship back in 2017 and have been working together ever since. When I first started working with him, I was very excited and confident. Working with him felt natural. He really understood my vibe. Back then, I told him how much I loved “Night Moves” by Bob Seger, and he was able to capture a country and rock sound for me at that time. I can tell him exactly what I’m looking for, and he nails it every single time. It’s like Christmas Day when you get to record with someone like that. And the chances of Dolly showing up are always there, which is super exciting [laughs].
PC: What do you hope listeners take away from Another Round after listening all the way through?
AY: I hope they understand that we are true fans of country music and want to keep that sound alive at all costs. Personally, I’d listen to George Jones on the lake or at any type of party, but if you’re reading the room as a musician, if you’re playing to college kids, that’s probably not the best route [laughs]. As an original band, it’s exciting and crucial to do our part to keep the traditional sound alive.
PC: You have a pretty busy touring schedule laid out through the spring and summer months. How much are you looking forward to staying busy on the road and bringing Another Road to new fans?
AY: We’re really excited. “She’s Already Gone” has already had a lot of success on Apple Music, which really surprised me. Of all six songs, there’s a different flavor for everyone, and that one is definitely the most traditional, honky tonkin’ songs. It was over 30,000 streams in the first couple weeks just on Apple Music alone. It’s been wild to see these songs falling into place and seeing what’s getting popular.
We’re looking forward to sharing this EP and seeing the response we get in these different places. Me and the guys are excited to play this EP for people. I feel like they’re really going to like it.
PC: With the EP now released and your touring schedule on the books, what else do you have planned for the rest of 2024?
AY: We may have just put this EP out, but we’re still grinding. We just went into the studio a few weeks ago in Nashville, so there will be more new music coming out. We’re going to try to load the schedule up with big shows in 2025, and we’re looking forward to bringing country music to the world.
*Another Round is featured on The Best of Pro Country playlist!*
Pro Country 
Leave a comment