Adam McGrath is a folk singer stationed in Port Lyttelton. He travels the state highways and byways of New Zealand and parts beyond, slinging songs and offering up low rent barroom philosophy with his band of misfits and chancers, The Eastern. He hopes for the best, prepares for the worst and believes in the poetry of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and the fury of word on the page. He lives alone, cooks infrequently and is scared of flags that blow to the right. He is happiest in front of a jukebox as the call for last drinks is given. His songs have gathered a clutch of good reviews in NZ and overseas, he's been nominated for a couple of serious music awards (including the Apra Silver Scroll), Graham Reid from the NZ herald called him 'NZ's toughest minded songwriter’ and Barry Saunders from The Warratahs simply described him as “The Truth”.
With The Eastern and solo he has shared stages with and opened for Fleetwood Mac, Steve Earle, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jimmy Barnes and many more.
His song ‘Hope and Wire’ became the inspiration for the tv3 drama series ‘Hope and Wire’ directed by Gaylene Preston.
The Eastern are noted for their ferocious roof raising live shows and have gathered a reputation for being the country's hardest working band playing up to and beyond 200 shows a year. Their latest album ‘The Territory’ was described as one of the best albums of 2014 from any band in any country by No Depression magazine.
Although the gathering of such plaudits makes him blush behind his rapidly graying beard, McGrath is very thankful and hopes that in someway this might help him in continuing to pay his rent through his roundabout stories and admittedly pretty crappy guitar playing.
