John Adams was raised in the South Wales Valleys by parents who placed emphasis on a strong education. That emphasis was so strong that he became a Mathematics teacher after completing university, but soon realized that a 9-5 routine wasn’t what he wanted. He realized that the fulfillment he needed was music.

He began his music career busking on the streets, and once he established a routine that helped him make a living out of music, he left teaching behind. It’s something he never regretted, although it’s something he never thought would happen.

“To be honest I've always been a huge fan of storytelling lyrics but I never thought the opportunity would arise for me to share my own account of events,” he said.

His first release of the year, “Kiss Every Stranger”, is about the difficulty of finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. He hopes it reassures people that are struggling to find “the one” that they are not alone in feeling frustrated.

The music video has Adams following a series of “misleading, confusing and vague clues” that lead him to an ending that leaves more questions than answers. Did he find what he was searching for? Were those clues even meant for him?

Not only is this his first single of the year, but this is his first release in what he says is an attempt to be a little more commercial. He decided to pursue this after being given the advice by industry experts, and has already found it paid off as it’s currently featured on the BBC Radio Wales playlist.

“I thought there may have been some friction to the change from existing fans but the feedback has been on the contrary,” he said. “I think they are enjoying having a ‘John Adams’ song they can dance to finally. The catchier and repetitive hook which has gone down really well at the live shows.”

Adams has also started the year with a nearly sold-out UK tour that has given him the opportunity to meet fans that have supported him online for so long. He’s also planning a few solo shows in addition to the four-piece band shows to try out new, unrehearsed songs to see how they are received.

“I have a handful of tracks that I'm really proud of and I'm going to release the one that seems to connect with the most people as the next single,” he said. “I've never done the process in this order and I'm already surprised at the results.”

When John Adams left his teaching career behind to pursue music, never did he think that his way of storytelling would resonate with others. His need to create music has given the world the opportunity to learn more about him and find solace in sharing similar life moments.