It is hard not to feel good when you listen to Adam Gardiner. His new single, Bursting Into Colour, is full of energy and joy. But even though it sounds like a bright indie-pop track, there is a serious story behind it that Adam is ready to tell.
Speaking with Local Sounds, Adam explained that the song is actually about his family. “The album artwork for that song is actually my son's embryo. It's rainbow-coloured because he's a rainbow baby,” he says. “You might need to Google that,” he adds with a laugh.
Adam and his wife had a long, tough time trying to have their first child. He wrote the song to show that journey from a dark place back into the light. “I was trying to depict, both lyrically and sonically, the really hard, black-and-white time we went through, and then the intense awakening of joy and colour that poured into our lives when we finally met our miracle boy,” he says.
He’s feeling more confident these days, especially after his last song, That Certain Feeling, got over 100,000 streams. “I think it gave me confidence more than anything,” Adam says. “The music I’m writing now is bolder as a result. It’s less about writing what I think people will enjoy hearing and more about being authentic to myself, telling my story, and singing about what I’m going through personally. I honestly believe that will resonate stronger with people.”
Living in the Northern Rivers of NSW helps him stay grounded. When he isn't writing, he’s usually out in the surf. “We’ve got some beautiful, world-class beaches here,” he says. “More and more, I’m riding bigger surfboards. I’m loving the mini mal and the fish at the moment.”
Adam also loves the local music scene and likes seeing people get back into playing real instruments. “I’m seeing a strong shift away from the 'solo social media musician' or the 'laptop producer' and back to bands. It’s so great to see! There are heaps of young kids trying to make bands and play real instruments again, and I just hope I can help out that next gen somehow.”
His new album, Maybe There’s More, is coming out in September 2026. It wasn’t made in a fancy studio—it was made whenever he could find a spare minute. “It’s been a real struggle to finish it off,” he admits. “A lot of finding time in the cracks of daily life. This album was made in lunch breaks and putting in an hour instead of going to bed. It’s amazing what can be achieved just by consistently chipping away.”
The main message of the album is about choosing joy, even when things are hard. “If you never get that thing you're reaching for, buying that house, kicking that goal, holding that child, can you still find joy? I want this album to help people step back a bit and see that there’s always joy to be found. I hope that can be true for all of us.”
He grew up listening to UK indie bands like The Strokes, and you can hear that in his sound. “All that music just got under my skin and is now a natural part of my musical expression,” he says. But mostly, he just wants to be honest about life. “You can’t really get to a deep, true sense of joy without acknowledging the darker times. Of course, there are hard times to sing about, and I think listeners will resonate with that as well.”
At Local Sounds, we reckon Adam is one to watch. His music is a great reminder that even when things are "black and white," the colour is usually just around the corner.
Listen to "Bursting Into Colour" by Adam Gardiner here;
https://localsounds.com.au/song/adam-gardiner/bursting-into-colour