Today, singer-songwriter Adam Klein shares a new video for “Counting the Days,” a previously unreleased song that carries significant meaning for the longtime Athens artist now based in Tucker. Accompanied by local fiddler Adam Poulin, Klein gives an emotional, intimate performance of the tender song written in anticipation of fatherhood.
“I wrote this song when my wife and I were expecting our first child,” Klein says. “I was reflecting on how my life might change—what might be lost and what might be gained. The song’s a sort of prayer, actually, that I learn to be a good father to her and that her life be filled with goodness. I view it as a ‘Forever Young’ type of song, in a sense.”
The video was filmed by Jeff Shipman during a session at Leesta Vall Sound Recordings, a niche record label in Brooklyn that specializes in producing limited-edition, handmade lathe-cut records of live sessions.
“Leesta Vall is a really cool label that records direct to lathe-cut vinyl, and each record is introduced with a greeting to whomever pre-ordered the particular song or a more general greeting if the performer plans to sell the record later,” explains Klein. “So, each piece of vinyl is entirely unique and the sole document of a given performance. Off the cuff when the take started rolling, it occurred to me to dedicate the song to my daughter and give her this vinyl as a keepsake. I couldn’t find my voice at first, and when I did it broke as I greeted her and then launched into the song. And that was the first take. This video, though, captures the very next take, which had a similar feeling. I felt like I was teetering on the edge and trying to deliver the song without breaking down. It felt real and raw, and that’s where deep songs are meant to live.”
Klein will return to Athens for a songwriters show with Brian Revels & the Heat Lightning and Slow Parade at Buvez on Sunday, Apr. 28. The event kicks off at 8 p.m., and Klein will be joined by Poulin on fiddle for a special duo set.
Hot off the heals of his 2023 release Holidays in the United States—which was recorded by Will Robertson at Gallop Studios in Atlanta then mastered by Bronson Tew at Dial Back Sound in Mississippi—Klein is already working on a follow-up album called Holidays Vol. 2. Keep up with his future releases at adam-klein.com.
Like what you just read? Support Flagpole by making a donation today. Every dollar you give helps fund our ongoing mission to provide Athens with quality, independent journalism.
