One day, Illinois-born Justin Walden was painting with a seasoned man from St. Louis who spoke the words that would change Justin’s life forever. "Don’t be afraid. Just throw the paint and see where it lands," said the elder painter. "There are no mistakes." There are no mistakes. These words planted a seed in Justin’s soul that transformed him into a fearless, musical spirit. Scarecrow Adams was born.

"Becoming Scarecrow Adams gave me the security to just throw music onto tape and not worry about what it sounds like," says the now-Los Angeles-based Scarecrow. "When I’m writing music, I’m painting. The tape is the canvas." How does he channel his musical paintings onto tape? "In one of two ways: either I’m playing guitar and singing, or I’m sitting at my computer creating beats and weird vibes." His music should not be categorized, but it should be on the radio. Attention-getting melodies backed by layers of off-center rhythms and sounds define Scarecrow Adams. At times the songs are rustic, as acoustic guitars provide the foundation, but there are always his signature "weird vibes" lurking in the background.

Is Scarecrow Adams a political or spiritual neo-hippie who wants his lyrics to save the universe? "No. Not at all. I don’t express political views or any of that shit," states Scarecrow, thankfully. "My songs are about what I’m feeling at the time. If the lyrics open up something in someone’s heart, then that’s great; and if someone just wants to just enjoy a song’s groove, that’s great, too." What about "Out There," a haunting number filled with unearthly sounds? "I wrote that song after spending two days in a Native American sweat lodge by myself. There was a cosmic loneliness I felt, and that’s what came out of me." The tune "Guess I Was Wrong" displays Scarecrow’s deftness in writing radio-ready material, and the emptiness he felt after falling victim to a doomed relationship. "I was going out with a woman 13 years older than me," explains the boy-toy. "And that’s who I wrote ‘Guess I Was Wrong’ about." Yea! She must have taught him a few things. "Oh yes," he chuckles as he remembers ultra-orgasms gone by. Maybe he wasn’t wrong.

Has barbarous sex played a key role in his writing? "There was period of time when I thought my music was sexier if I wasn’t having sex." Why? "Because the creative energy I’d have expended having sex was funneled into the music." Creative energy runs rampant in his music. From the conga-laden groove of "The Jesus Game," to the robotic sounds of "I’m Human," to his Casio-keyboard interpretation of Prince’s "Pop Life," Scarecrow Adams takes creativity to fresh levels, especially in the studio. But what about the live show?

"Scarecrow Adams has never played live because I haven’t found the people to service the music. But now that my cousin, who is the best fucking bassist, moved to LA, and when his drummer moves here, I’ll have the killer rhythm section, and then I’ll hit the live circuit." How does Scarecrow want his sound to translate into the live setting? "I want the exact studio sound to come across live; I don’t want to go out and just do live versions of the recordings. I want the ear candy to be present." Forget the sound. What about the energy? What does he want the audience to feel? "It seems that in the late-90s, rock shows have been all about aggression and negative energy," opines Scarecrow. "I want my show to help people escape the negative, not escape into head-banging." So, no one will exit a Scarecrow show and want to molest and murder. "No. My audience will leave energized in a positive way."

It’s absurd that Scarecrow Adams is unsigned. "I’ve only shopped my music intermittently over the last few years," he explains. "My music was always ahead of what’s going on. But now there’s stuff that’s selling that record companies can relate to my music." Does that mean there’s a deal brewing? "I recently got someone to shop my songs for me, and it’s been interesting." Why? "Well, some people flip out. Period. And there is definitely major-label interest. But some dig it and say things like, ’Wow, man. This is way creative. I don’t know what to do with it.’ These are the ones that are scared to release my music."

Fear is not an option in the world of Scarecrow Adams. He proves this every time he sits down to "paint" a song. Eventually, the record industry will come through and bring him to the people. "I wasn’t given the gift of music just to entertain 50 of my close friends," says Scarecrow. "I want to make a lot of records and play in front of a lot of people, for the rest of my life." This is not some air-guitar-playing, deluded dude talking; this is a true artist. So when the time arrives that you hear Scarecrow Adams on your radio, don’t be afraid. Just listen.

Visit Scarecrow Adams' web site at: www.ScarecrowAdams.com