Twenty years ago, without resources, connections, or any clue as to how the music world works, Adam Ezra began playing shows in bars, bookstores, fields, and parking lots, often raising money for causes he cared about. “We’d play five hours a night, and more often than not, we were in danger of outnumbering the audiences we were playing for,” he remembered.
How did this band, operating so far out of the traditional music world, come to win the New England Music Award’s Americana Act of the Year in 2023? What could have inspired John Oates to call Ezra and invite him to begin a songwriting friendship that would lead to Oates producing and releasing their co-written work, “Hold Each Other Now?” Why did Spin magazine say that “This independent underground folk band is blowing up without selling out?”
Adam Ezra thinks he knows. “One person at a time, over many years and thousands of shows, decided to turn their heads to listen,” he said. “One person at a time decided to share our music with folks they care about. That’s always been our story. It’s not a fairy tale, but it sure makes me proud and humbled when I look out from the stage to watch theaters full of people singing along to our music.”
For the past two decades. the Adam Ezra group, fronted by Ezra and including bandmates Corrina Smith on fiddle, Alex Martin on drums and Poche Ponce on bass, has worked outside the confines of the traditional music industry, building a fan base and sweeping up awards and accolades. From a 2012 Grassroots Award from the New England Music Awards to a 2021 Digital Performer of the Year honor from the same group, they have taken New England and the country by storm, regularly performing hundreds of shows a year without any major label or mainstream radio support.
Fusing folk intimacy and rock energy with soul power and pop charm, the Adam Ezra Group first emerged from Boston in the early 2000s and quickly garnered acclaim for bold, insightful songwriting, and interactive performances. They played in hole-in-the-wall bars and then to sold-out concerts with Little Big Town, Gavin DeGraw, Train, and The Wailers, treating each gig as if it were their last and attracting a die-hard following that believed in the music and the band’s commitment to activism and social change, as well.
When COVID led to a canceled tour, Ezra brought the show online and created The Gathering Series, which has, to-date, accumulated more than 15 million viewers. His commitment to his audience, both long-time listeners and newcomers, didn’t waver, through his own bout with COVID, his move across the country and his wedding day. He live streamed for 500 nights in a row during the pandemic. His band and nonprofit organization, Rally Sound, hosted a free festival that raised $151,000 for homeless veterans in 2024. When the band was unable to bring the festival to fans live during COVID, they incorporated it into The Gathering Series and hosted a 24-hour, nonstop livestream where they raised enough money to help 64 veterans.
These days, you’ll find Ezra and the band constantly on the road. You can see them at festivals, rock venues, and theaters around the country, but you will also see their touring continuously peppered with activism and grassroots events. It’s a testament to an artist who will never forget where he came from, and whose mission is about much more than music.
ACE Music Conference said of Adam Ezra, “If Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, James Taylor, and Jack Johnson had a baby, this would be it. Lyrics are unique. A melding of sounds, all enjoyable. This must be heard!”
