BAND OF THE DAY: BLIND ADAM AND THE FAMILY LEAGUE

“Anti-Flag kind of took me under their wing when I was in my early teens and have always supported my bands. Chris and I had talked about working together on a record over the last few years and we were finally able to line up our schedules to create An Act of Desperation. With things going the way they are in the world, and in the US in particular — it was important for us to make a record that really mattered, but also something people could enjoy. We really dug into the material to make what I think is the best piece of music I’ve ever been a part of.” – Adam Gogol.

“When the news came out about Oscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his nearly 2-year-old daughter, Valeria, were found washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande in an attempt to make it into the United States to seek asylum, I was immediately heartbroken and angry. “An Act of Desperation” was one of those songs that kind of wrote itself – it’s the final track and namesake of our upcoming album. Unfortunately, the label has been in a holding pattern for months with the uncertainty of the pandemic, but we thought it was important to get this song out before the election. Our song might not make a difference, but I’d like to think some might find solace in it, and who knows – maybe it will touch a nerve with a few white suburban Trump supporters that like to think of themselves as ‘good people.’ This song is extremely on the nose which is intentional, I hope some Trump voters see it and makes them upset and do some self-reflection, I don’t really expect it to fundamentally change anybody — but I hope it at least plants a seed.” – Adam Gogola.

Their name is a nod to a nickname given to Gogola by his friend Bryan Kienlen of The Bouncing Souls during a cross-country motorcycle ride taken shortly after being diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition called Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON). That trip spurred Gogola to get back into music himself. After tapping several longtime friends to join him, Blind Adam & the Federal League was born. Known for their country-tinged variety of rock and roll and politically-charged lyrics, Blind Adam & the Federal League draw inspiration from Bruce Springsteen, Rancid, Tom Petty, and Jason Isbell.

Over the last two years, the band had played over 75 shows a year, from DIY shows to opening for acts like Ben Nichols (Lucero), Anti-Flag, Flatfoot 56, CJ Ramone, Dog Party, The Goddamn Gallows, Austin Lucas, Everclear, Bowling for Soup and many more. Over the past two years, they played across the United States while working on what would become their sophomore LP, An Act of Desperation. The album was set to release in the summer of 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic has forced them to press pause on all future plans. However, they do plan to tour after the record is released and it is safe and responsible to tour again.

Since March, the band has hosted a nine-week live stream series called Quarantine Live Streams, in partnership with Mystery Street Recording in Chicago. They raise money to support the work of organizations like The Night Ministry, Indie Lab VA, and Brave Space Alliance, with guests including members of Anti-Flag, Ben Nichols of Lucero, The Homeless Gospel Choir, Sarah Shook, and Austin Lucas. That work has turned into on the ground activism, and a mutual aid project called The People’s Pizza Party.

Now Blind Adam & the Federal League are working on a new live stream series that will be tied to support organizations that prioritize mutual aid, community defense, and social and racial justice.