The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel is an American guitarist, vocalist, musician, and record producer best known as their frontman. Adam, who was born and reared in Massachusetts, started playing the electric guitar as a teenager, which sparked his interest in music. After that, he spent countless hours jamming with other aspiring musicians without ever taking any formal music classes. He relocated to California at the age of 22 in order to pursue a profession in music, but when that move did not go well for him, he relocated to Philadelphia. There, he encountered Kurt Vile, and the two musicians’ collaboration led to the creation of a group known as “The Violators.” The War on Drugs, which he later co-founded with Vile, received a resounding reception when their debut EP, “Barrel of Batteries,” was published in 2007. The band issued their first studio album, “Wagonwheel Blues,” the following year, and three more well-received albums in the years that followed. Adam took over the music production responsibilities for the album “Water on Mars” by Purling Hiss in 2013.
Early Youth & Life
On February 15, 1979, Adam Granofsky, the future Adam Granduciel, was born in Dover, Massachusetts, into a middle-class household. He was his parents Mark and Paula Granofsky’s second kid. Burton was his older sibling. Adam grew up constantly listening to heavy music. This did not sit well with his parents, but Adam was unfazed and continued to pursue his hobbies.
Adam had never considered pursuing a profession in music before he turned 18 years old. When he was 13 years old, he received an electric guitar as a present. Despite not knowing how to play it, he continued practicing until eventually he became addicted to it. He played on his own up until junior high and didn’t attempt joining a band or playing in front of an audience.
At “Roxbury Latin School,” where he started junior high, he met a few like-minded classmates who frequently took part in jam sessions. This is when everything shifted for him. Adam joined them and began showcasing his instrument prowess. Even though it was clear that Adam had never received any formal music instruction, he significantly improved. He had mastered the acoustic guitar by the time he graduated from high school.
His education was finished at Dickinson College. He earned degrees in painting and photography and then made the decision to relocate to California in search of improved employment prospects. He was in California at the age of 22 with his instrument and recorder. He passed his days there waiting tables in a restaurant. He worked on his guitar in the evenings and discovered new things about it every day.
Adam Granduciel’s Career
The decision to relocate to Philadelphia in 2003, when he first encountered Kurt Vile, marked the biggest turning point in his career. At a gathering, Kurt and Adam became friends over drinks and their shared appreciation of Bob Dylan. They were both gifted but struggling musicians who, through their endless jam sessions, came to share a mutual admiration for one another. They spent the next two years getting ready for their big break in the music business, and in 2005 they started their independent band, “The War on Drugs.”
All of the band members had day jobs when they began playing shows around Philadelphia, but they still found time to jam and perform in front of audiences. The ensemble eventually gained a lot of respect from music fans in Philadelphia and New York, where they occasionally played shows.
The band completed producing their debut EP, “Barrel of Batteries,” which included five original songs, by 2007. The EP was soon published, and it was made freely downloadable online. Both the listeners and the commentators responded positively to them. A small-time record company called “Secretly Canadian” became interested in them as a result of the understated success of their debut EP and their live performances. ‘The War on Drugs’ thus agreed to their first employment contract.
The group signed with the new label and put out their first studio record, “Wagonwheel Blues,” in 2008. The album was a commercial and critical triumph. The members split up as a result of this achievement though. In the end, only Adam and Kurt stayed from the original group after the majority of them left. Later, Kurt also continued working on his solo endeavors.
The band released their sophomore EP, “Future Weather,” in 2010, and the lineup changed a few times as they started working on their second studio record. 2011 saw the debut of the album “Slave Ambient,” which received positive reviews and a Metacritic score of 82 out of 100. The record was included in a number of music charts and lists’ top 50 albums. The music journal “Mojo” ranked it 21st, and the magazine “Paste” ranked it 37th.
The success of the record was then used by the band to launch a tour. They later declared that their subsequent studio album would be released in December 2013. The ‘Lost in the Dream album, which was released in April 2014, was greatly inspired by Adam’s experiences of loneliness and depression while on numerous international and domestic tours.
The record received widespread praise and debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200 chart. By the end of the year, it had finally achieved success on numerous music lists. The album was designated a widely acclaimed album after receiving an overall score of 86 on Metacritic. The record reached several European music charts and was given a “gold” certification in the UK.
The band got a significant break in 2015 when “Atlantic Records” offered them a two-album deal. The group debuted its newest song, “Thinking of a Place,” in April 2017. August 2017 saw the official release of the album “A Deeper Understanding” after they released one more single from it in June. Like all of his previous albums, this one also got a ton of positive reviews.
At the 2018 UK Americana Awards, “A Deeper Understanding” was up for the “International Album of the Year Prize.” The record was recognized as “Best Rock Album” at the “Grammy Awards” in January 2018.
In addition to his efforts with the band “The War on Drugs,” Additionally, Adam produced the 2013 record “Water on Mars” by Purling Hiss. Additionally, he contributed to Kurt Vile’s four solo recordings as a former bandmate.
Adam’s Individual Existence
Even during his flourishing musical career, Adam Granduciel frequently battled depression, anxiety, and paranoia. His mental health problems frequently interfere with his work, delaying the completion of his albums.
Adam and actress Krysten Ritter have been dating since 2014.
Estimated Net Worth
Adam is one of the wealthiest and most well-known singers. According to our research, Adam Granduciel has a net worth of $5 million, as reported by Forbes, Wikipedia, and Business Insider.