Author: Josie Randle
Some bands pick their band name out of a hat with no particular meaning behind it. I, on the
other hand, deliberately chose the name Adptd to represent a plethora of stories and
experiences with one singular word. This word, read as “Adopted,” is more than just a band
name. They are the first three syllables of my story as a musician, an activist, a daughter, a
sister, an empath, and a human being.
I wanted to choose a band name that reflects who I am as a person. I’m a woman of color who
grew up in a white family in Long Beach, California. I definitely have a lot of my own thoughts on
my situation growing up, which I won’t dive into. However, if there is one important detail that
comes from all this, it is my Grandma. She has since passed away but she was ultimately my
best friend who pretty much raised me. She always pushed and believed in my dreams and
what I wanted to do, which was and is music. My relationship with my grandma started it all.
We all have that one person, experience, story or moment in life that really shapes who we are.
Being adopted set the tone for me.
Without that turning point, I wouldn’t have my friends, my heart, my passion, or my talent. I’ve
experienced so many emotions in life, we all have, and being able to share that through music is
one way so many of us connect. I wanted everyone to know that I am still here because of the
struggles, emotions, and hurdles I’ve experienced.
The collection of songs coming out on February 25th (via rad-pop. records) dictate a certain
time in my life when I felt and experienced a wide array of emotions in my bedroom. The
obvious way to mark this period was to write about it, hence the EP title Bedroom Walls.
The newest single Believe it or Not is about my religious views and how skewed they are to me.
I’m not here to knock religion or what anyone believes, because we all believe in something.
The song is a very feely, touchy song that speaks about the push and pull of faith, the feelings
that reside when you’re in worship vs when you’re not.
An earlier single I released, Scared, is a politically and racially centered song. It relates to me
being an African American woman experiencing things first hand and having to witness what
other POC have to go through as well. It’s tiring and exhausting. The chorus speaks exactly the
feelings, the verses are situations, and the bridge asks why it’s happening where things should
be.
Religion and Race are both pretty hefty subjects discussed in the world, online, and with friends.
I portray my own feelings and thoughts on those as well. The title track of the EP, Bedroom
Walls, really tugs on mental health and the anxiety of life. More importantly, it addresses the
struggle to find yourself while trying to grow and be better despite those challenges. ‘Stay’ is the
3rd song on the album. It is about the struggle I had coping with my Grandma’s death. Each
song discusses strong emotions of life that my bedroom walls hold. These songs were also built
in these walls.
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