MUC Chats with Adam Rutledge about 'Runway'

With a sleek, raw voice and a gift for writing clever stories, Adam Rutledge brings an authenticity to country music that is different from any other artist today. This same authenticity got the attention of country hitmaker Phil Vassar, who essentially made Rutledge one of his management clients and his opening act throughout 2018. Rutledge has also just released Runway, his newest EP to date.

Rutledge, the Virginia native, has shared the stage with fellow country artists like Chris Janson, Lauren Alaina, and Brothers Osborne, further adding to his large fan-base. You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter @iamadamrutledge.

Check out the Q&A I had with Adam:

"What came to mind when Country hitmaker Phil Vassar approached you about opening up for him and ultimately taking you under his wing?"

Is this real life?!?! I remember the first time I met Phil, I was a nervous wreck, and he was so kind and welcoming. He's been so generous with his time and advice, and he's a VERY busy guy, so it's not lost on me how lucky I am that he's taken me under his wing.

"What advice would you give 18 year old Adam Rutledge that you may not have known at the time but know now?"

RELAX! Take your time and enjoy the moment. Work as hard as you can, but don't work so hard that you forget to stop and appreciate how far you've come. I'm very impatient and I want everything to happen RIGHT NOW, so I would tell 18 year old Adam to trust that everything will happen in God's time and that there are NO mistakes. Everything happens for a reason.

"You have shared the stage with artists like Brothers Osborne, Lauren Alaina and Chris Janson, all of which essentially “made it big” very quickly. what can you learn from their fast success and how can you apply that knowledge to your own music career?"

Seeing their quick success drives me to keep working hard because you never know when your "break" is coming. Every show is important, no matter how big or small, every person you meet, every hand you shake - those are all so important. Seeing those artists rise so fast makes me wake up every morning thinking "today is gonna be the day."

"One song in particular that really stuck out to me on your most recent album Runway, is “Hard to Be Happy For You” because it’s relatable for so many people. Tell me about the song came to you and what the recording process was like."

Thank you! I love that song. That song was sent to me by Andy Sheridan (Hunter Hayes), who co-produced this record along with Jeff Smith (Phil Vassar). He, Jared Slocum and Justin Adams wrote that song. We stuck pretty close to the demo on this one because it was so darn good. I think we used a handful of tracks from the demo on the final recording. I instantly loved the lyric. It's sooo honest and relatable. Who hasn't had a relationship fail and then hear or see that the other person has moved on or is doing well. No matter how much you want the best for them and want them to be happy, it's still hard to see.

For More Information: https://adamrutledgemusic.com/