Who are you and where d’you come from?
My name is Ad Apt (real name Adam Brown) and I originally come from a small town in the Cotswolds called Stroud – it’s far from ghetto!

If you had to sum up how you became a Christian in a few sentences, what would you say?
I grew up in a Christian home, my parents were church leaders, but at the age of ten I decided to make a personal choice to live my life for God without living my faith through my parents. I think sometimes people depend on other people’s faith too much, rather than having a strong personal connection with God.

How did you first get involved in music?
My dad was a DJ, so I grew up around great music such as Motown, soul and MOD indie stuff like The Jam and Booker T, and I was always singing or dancing to the music played in the car or at home. When I was ten, I began drumming at my church in youth services and then progressed to performing raps with my cousin at youth camp and clubs, which led to me taking it seriously and choosing it as a career.

Who are your favourite artists/bands or inspirations?
Stevie Wonder was a massive influence on me from a young age and I have loads of respect for artists such as Marvin Gaye, Gill Scott Heron, Jay Z (for what he has done for hip-hop crossing over to mainstream) and I love the creative work of Burial, Jurassic 5, Outkast and new artists like James Blake.

What sort of music do you make?
I try to be original and express myself as best as I can when making music. It’s hard to pigeonhole my style but my main influences come from drum and bass, garage, hip-hop and a healthy dose of rock! So I guess it could be summed up as ‘bass music’? As long as it kicks, I’m happy!

What have you been working on recently?
I’m currently working on my debut EP titled Broken Bones, which is set for release in September – it’s a showcase of some of my tracks and is a step towards the release of a full debut album next year! Watch this space.

Who have you worked with recently?
I’m on tour with LZ7 for the rest of 2011, which is amazing, and a great platform for me to do my own solo stuff as support act. I did a track called ‘Heartache’ with D&B producer BCee that was released in 2010. I’ve also just finished a feature track for house DJ Louis La Roche for his forthcoming album and have been working with new artist Toy Tigers, who is set for big things in 2012!

How did you learn to beatbox?
I used to play drums when I was younger and started making drum rhythms and beats with my mouth when the drum kit wasn’t around, so it pretty much came naturally! I really annoyed my parents on long car journeys, but it was always the best time to practise!


What’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever done?
Flying a plane in New Zealand was pretty sick!

How does your faith impact your everyday life in the music world/industry?
Music is a great way to communicate and express yourself, so I use my music as a way of telling people who I am, what I feel and what I’ve experienced in life. My faith is always the basis of my lyrics and influences everything I do and say. To be an honest, decent, authentic person in the music industry is a massive thing and has a big impact on how you treat people and the respect you get back from them. The music industry can be a very lucrative business and seem quite fake at times, but you have to keep grounded and know who you are in God and not let people, money or fame be your security or purpose.

Have you got any advice for young music artists in the making?
Sometimes creativity is at its highest when your resources are restricted. Don’t feel you have to have all the latest equipment and knowledge to be successful; use what you’ve got to its full potential. Never give up without a fight! Keep pushing yourself in different ways and experiment with other genres of music to help broaden your creativity. And, lastly, don’t ever strive for perfection immediately. Do what you can to make your music the best it can be, but don’t worry about tiny little things that only you will notice – get your material recorded and get it out there … you’ll naturally begin to perfect things as you progress.

Ad Apt soundcloud page
Ad Apt website