Adam Popick

Session Bassist / Producer

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13 Reviews (2 Verified)
Adam Popick on SoundBetter

-+- Versatile bassist / multi-instrumentalist ready to deliver the right sound and part for your song or production -+- Check out my reel for examples of my bass playing. (I am also the engineer/producer/mixer and drummer on clips 4, 6 and 8) -+-

I have close to 20 years of experience playing bass, drums and keys as a session musician, live sideman, and producer/engineer. After studying Music Production and Engineering at Berklee, I spent 4 years gigging and recording in Nashville before landing in Los Angeles in 2012. Since then I have continued balancing session work and touring, as well as composing and producing records. I can quickly and confidently lay down bass in pretty much any style on your track, calling on my experience playing in punk rock bands, with Americana singer/songwriters, indie pop artists and in an endless variety of other genres. From classic tones using a vintage Fender or a picked hollowbody through an old tube Ampeg, to more modern and pristine sounds using boutique pedals and preamps, I can confidently match the soul of your production and add the right vibe to any situation. I've worked on recordings for Rachael Yamagata, Matt Nathanson, Charlie Worsham, Madi Diaz, Rayland Baxter, Sugar and The Hi-Lows, Matthew Perryman Jones, Landon Pigg, Elizabeth & The Catapult, Justin Levinson, Emily Kinney, Broken Baby, Escondido and Harrison Kipner to name a few. Live touring/performing credits include Anna Nalick, Easton Corbin, Marc Broussard, Rachael Yamagata, Matt Nathanson, Charlie Worsham, Madi Diaz, Rayland Baxter, Escondido, Sugar and The Hi-Lows, Grand Canyon and Landon Pigg.

Contact me through the green button above and let's get to work.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Adam Popick
  • Emily Kinney
  • Emily Kinney
  • Emily Kinney
  • Emily Kinney
  • Elizabeth & the Catapult
  • Elizabeth & the Catapult
  • The Shoe
  • Madi Diaz
  • Charlie Worsham
  • Matthew Perryman Jones
  • Madi Diaz
  • Madi Diaz
  • Madi Diaz
  • Madi Diaz
  • Madi Diaz
  • Madi Diaz
  • Madi Diaz
  • Madi Diaz
  • Madi Diaz
  • Sugar + the Hi-Lows
  • Craig Jackson
  • Craig Jackson
  • Craig Jackson
  • Craig Jackson
  • Craig Jackson
  • Craig Jackson
  • Craig Jackson
  • Craig Jackson
  • Frank Ciampi
  • Frank Ciampi
  • Justin Levinson
  • Eric Hirshberg
  • Eric Hirshberg
  • Grand Canyon
  • James Farrell
  • James Farrell
  • James Farrell
  • James Farrell
  • Cameron Lister
  • Justin Levinson
  • Justin Levinson
  • Justin Levinson
  • Justin Levinson
  • Justin Levinson
  • Justin Levinson
  • Justin Levinson
  • Justin Levinson
  • Justin Levinson
  • Duquette Johnston
  • Eric Hirshberg
  • Jesse Terry
  • Jesse Terry
  • Jesse Terry
  • Jesse Terry
  • Jesse Terry
  • Jesse Terry
  • Eric Hirshberg
  • Eric Hirshberg

13 Reviews

Endorse Adam Popick
  1. Review by Steven F.
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    check_circleVerified

    Absolutely 5 stars for Adam. He is easy to work with, professional, and delivers wonderful parts and fantastic performance. He obviously takes the time to really understand your project or track, and it shows. Adam is a consummate pro. Highly recommended.

  2. Review by Per S.
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    by Per S.
    check_circleVerified

    Adam was great to work with! Fast to respond, easy to communicate with and he delivered an absolutely amazing bass track which was perfect for the song.

    I highly recommend to work with Adam!

  3. Review by shammer
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    Adam is a great musician and was a pleasure to work with. The bass and drum tracks he sent me sounds fenomenal, and was just what the song needed. Everything I was looking for, and a little more. He was also very responsive in the dialogue and picked up on what I envisioned. I would absolutely work with Adam again and would recommend him to others as well!

  4. Review by Casey Shea
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    by Casey Shea

    Adam is one of those rare guys who can play every instrument better than everyone playing that instrument in your band. Super musical, great ear, and sensibilities. He always brings something new and fresh to recordings, and whether it's bass, drums, or both, he always keeps my foot tapping. Highly recommended!

  5. Review by Zachary Donohue
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    by Zachary Donohue

    I hired Adam to record a soundalike for a trailer of an original short I produced. He performed all the instruments (bass, piano, drums and guitar) and turned it around for me in less than three days - the quality was everything I hoped for! He is receptive to feedback, highly professional, courteous, and a fun collaborative person. Highly recommend working with him!

  6. Review by Elizabeth Ziman (elizabeth and the catapult)
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    by Elizabeth Ziman (elizabeth and the catapult)

    I’ve worked with Adam over a number of years and he’s one of the most versatile, multi talented players and producers in the business. He has a special talent for bringing out the magic in songs and he just keeps getting better and better at his craft. Five stars plus!

  7. Review by Aaron Tap
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    by Aaron Tap

    I've worked with Adam both on stage and for numerous remote recording projects, with him tackling pretty much any instrument you hand him. He is a total pro with a great ear and the creativity and energy to explore multiple avenues to get to the right sound/part/feel for a song. And Adam is always a pleasure to work with personally, as well.

  8. Review by Benjamin Greenspan
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    by Benjamin Greenspan

    I've worked with Adam many times across a bunch of projects. All with pretty different vibes. He is truly one of the most musical people I've ever met. He not only brings sonic magic to whatever he's playing on but just carries a great vibe into the room and helps create a really fun and cooperative mood. I've hired Adam to play drums, percussion, bass, and keys but no matter what I hire him to do he always ends up tracking other instruments as well. He is more than proficient at everything he does. And whether we're in the studio or he's recording remotely the end result is always great

  9. Review by Martin Cooke
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    Adam is great. His musicality is on par with the best, from grooving bass lines to tasty keyboard accompaniment, to solid drum tracks. Most recently Adam played a bass part for a song I was producing and it was just what we needed to really bring the song to life. He was my first and only choice and will stay that way. You won't regret having Adam help you make great music.

  10. Review by Justin Levinson
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    by Justin Levinson

    I recently hired Adam to do some drums and piano on a new single. It came out incredible. You can tell he puts a lot of thought into everything he plays. It’s nice as a songwriter to work with session players and producers who know how to color a song..leave space when needed but can also take a risk and be innovative. I’d highly recommend Adam for high quality studio work. He can literally do it all. Also, he’s a pretty awesome human.

  11. Review by A Dezen
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    by A Dezen

    I’ve worked with Adam for years. He’s great! Super dependable, a very quick learner, and a great hang. His musicality is very intuitive, easily switching seamlessly from genre to genre, instrument to instrument. His skills as a multi-instrumentalist make him uniquely qualified to handle any session with ease. He’s gonna be the best guy on your session.

  12. Review by Kyle LaLone
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    by Kyle LaLone

    Adam has contributed as an instrumentalist, engineer, and/or producer on the last 3 records I’ve made. He is a remarkable talent, able to write, perform, and record bass/drums/keys in pretty much any style you’re looking for. His tone, feel, and parts are always tasteful, supportive, and exactly what the song calls for. He is also kind, humble, and a pleasure to work with. If you are looking for someone to be a one-stop shop for a full production of a song or to lay down fantastic parts on bass, drums, or keys then Adam is your guy!

  13. Review by Trevor Field
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    Adam Popick is one of the most talented musicians I've ever worked with.  As a producer, I try to include Adam every chance I get because he always elevates the production.  Bass, drums, keys...this guy not only plays everything, but he makes it look effortless!  I consider myself lucky to have seen a ton of talented musicians.  But I've only seen a few rare talents that have an obvious connection with whatever it is that makes music magical.  Adam is one of those rare talents.  Music is in his bones.

Interview with Adam Popick

  1. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  2. A: Martin Cooke, Cameron Lister, Trevor Field

  3. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  4. A: Music is what I do. It's all I've ever done. The reason I fell in love with bass is because of the way it makes me feel. The power it has to totally transform the emotions of a song with one single note... it's inspiring.

  5. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  6. A: I graduated from Berklee in 2008, spent 4 years in Nashville, then landed in Los Angeles in 2012. Pretty much as soon as I moved to Boston, I began playing with bands, recording fellow musicians, and doing session work. I've been building on these things ever since, and have gotten to see the world and bunch of beautiful studios in the process.

  7. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  8. A: I've been a lifelong fan of Ben Folds. Although I'm not in love with everything he's ever put out, I think he is incredibly talented and Ben Folds Five is the reason I became obsessed with the bass.

  9. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  10. A: Commit. I'm a fan of less-is-more. A session with 200 tracks, or a part played for the 50th time, is rarely going to beat out the 20 track session or the 1st or 2nd take. There is magic in simplicity and in the first hours of the creative process. Don't kill it by overthinking, overproducing or overplaying.

  11. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  12. A: Parts! Tone and pocket are a must for any bass player, and I've been complimented on both over the years. But if you're not playing the right notes, the song will suffer. I'm not a show-off on the bass. I don't try to attract attention to myself on the instrument. But what I do have is a producers mind, and a vision for the progression of a song, how many notes need to be in each section, how much to play, and when not to play. If it's a supporting role, I will do just that...give support. If there is room for the bass to be more up front, my sense of melody is well supported by years of playing piano and singing, and I'm comfortable using those skills to add life to my bass parts.

  13. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  14. A: I take direction well and can adapt to any situation. Years of playing in bands covering a wide variety of different types of music has given me the background to know where a song is coming from. Growing up playing in punk bands informed my rock sensibility and backing up whisper-quiet singer/songwriters gave me a sense of dynamics and sensitivity.

  15. Q: What's your typical work process?

  16. A: If someone sends me a track, I will typically set up my Pro Tools session aligning their tracks to a tempo map or grid. I'll then listen down and chart out the song, making notes of any particular lines or parts that I hear while listening. Then I'll jump into tracking, giving myself enough passes to make sure the vibe and part is right. For more complicated productions, I will usually comp (edit) a number of takes together, to deliver the most polished and professional track possible.

  17. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  18. A: I'm inspired by Jon Brion's work as as composer, multi-instrumentalist session musician and producer. I also love the more rootsy vibes of Ethan Johns, specifically his work with the Jayhawks, Ray Lamontagne and Ryan Adams. As far as bassists go, I'm less of a bassist's bassist, but instead I tend to enjoy more the understated supporting role the bass plays in some of my favorite bands and solo artist's recordings.

  19. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  20. A: In my studio, I'm running Universal Audio Apollo X8 and Twin with Pro Tools on my Mac. I have a variety of outboard gear, including Great River and API mic pres, Great River EQs, Distressors and Apogee converters. My studio is pretty much ready at any moment to track a full live band. Vintage Ludwig drums, vintage Fender guitar amps and Ampeg bass amps, a vintage Yamaha U3 upright piano, vintage Wurlitzer 200 and collection of vintage and new basses, acoustic and electric guitars and other stringed instruments.

  21. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  22. A: I tend to lay down remote bass, drum and keyboard tracks for singer/songwriters and indie artists. When it makes sense, I also work as a producer helping to sculpt tracks for artists from the ground up, playing most of the rhythm section instruments and calling on my network of musician friends to help out when needed.

  23. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  24. A: old P Bass, old Ludwigs, old Gibson acoustic, Ampeg B15, and my Pro Tools rig??

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: Natural

  27. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  28. A: Although I work on a wide-range of projects, I tend to come back to singer/songwriters and indie folk artists.

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bass reel

I was the bassist in this production

Terms Of Service

Timelines and revision terms can be agreed upon on a project to project basis. My number one goal is to provide parts and sounds that both the client and myself are proud to have on their song.

GenresSounds Like
  • Kacey Musgraves
  • Death Cab for Cutie
  • Ray LaMontagne
Gear Highlights
  • 1968 Fender Precision
  • 1979 Fender Precision
  • 1967 Fender Mustang
  • 1967 Guild Starfire
  • 1970s Rickenbacker 3001 and 4001
  • Ampeg B-15
  • Ampeg V4-B
  • Great River Pre-Amps
  • Avalon U5
  • REDDI
  • Universal Audio Apollo
More Photos
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