Exclusive Interview: Adam DiMarco Chats New Music Project

Adam DiMarco has made his mark on the screen in projects including Radio Rebel, The Magicians, and The Order, and now he’s making his presence known in the world of music under the artist project Good One.

With two singles already under his belt, Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Adam to chat about his transition from film and television to the studio, his latest single, and much more.

PC: How did you discover your passion for acting and music?
Adam: They came at very different times in my life. As far as acting, I was going to university in Canada and didn’t really like what I was studying. I was studying life sciences, which I had been good at in high school, but then I got to university and was like, “I don’t enjoy this at all. I don’t like what I’m studying.” I was watching a lot of TV, as one does, as an escape. Then I was like, “This looks like a really fun job or industry to work in.” I thought maybe I could be a writer or an actor. Then, I realized to be an actor, you have to do it; you can’t learn that from reading a book. I was like, “I’ll try that first.” I moved out to Vancouver and went to acting school out there. I really loved it, so I stuck with that. The rest is history.

With music, I grew up playing piano. I’ve always loved music, but it was never really something I thought about pursuing until a few years ago. As an actor, you also have so much downtime when you’re not working. It started as a hobby. It’s still a hobby. It’s something that I do for fun. It’s nice to have a project that you’re in control of. With acting, other people are hiring you. With music, it’s nice that it’s something I have complete control over.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Adam: That’s a tough question. This is a weird answer, but Lost. I was a super fan of the show. That was what I was watching and obsessed with when I was at university. That sparked my interest in getting into the industry. Also, studying in Vancouver was very influential. It’s led me to where I am now.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Adam: I’d say there have been a few moments that stand out to me. I worked on this Disney TV movie when I was pretty young called Radio Rebel. I’m still friends with a lot of people from that to this day. I met one of my best friends on that project. I look back on that really fondly. It was my first time playing a lead role, so it gave me a lot of confidence that I could do this going forward. Plus, it’s Disney!

I’d also say working on The Order. That was probably my favorite project that I’ve worked on because I love sci-fi. I also loved getting to work with the people that I got to work with. Jack [Manley], who plays Jack Morton (the lead)—we went to high school together in Ontario. It was crazy that we ended up coming back into each other’s lives ten years later. It was amazing. It was also my first time being a series regular on a project. I learned a lot from that experience. The best way to learn is always by doing and being on set.

PC: You’ve got a new single out now. Tell us about “Sleepwalk” and the inspiration behind the song.
Adam: I started working on it over the summer. My friend, Curtis, sent me a skeleton beat, and I started expanding on it and working on it. I was at a place in life where I wanted to fast forward. I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that where you’re like, “I can’t wait for it to be six months from now,” but knowing that you can’t do that; you have to live through it and get there. It’s about knowing that everything will be okay, and you have to get there naturally; you can’t force anything or fast forward through it.

PC: Actor-musicians have often said that there’s a different level of vulnerability that you need to tap into when you’re working on your own music. Do you feel similarly?
Adam: I think so. It’s super vulnerable. Like I mentioned before, as an actor, you’re not writing what you’re saying. With music, it does come from you. I always try to write from a place of truth with my music. I don’t want to lie or bullsh*t unless I’m doing it in a very cheeky way or it’s a joke. I definitely feel like there is a difference. But at the end of the day, vulnerability is vulnerability. It’s its own thing. It’s a different shade of the same color.

PC: What would you say is the biggest lesson you’ve learned working on your own original music that you’ll now apply to your acting career?
Adam: That’s a good question. It’s that sense of ownership over your choices and the confidence to back up those decisions. With music, there are a lot of collaborators. There are a lot of people who come in to help mix, master, or help my demo sound more professional. It’s learning how to communicate what you’re thinking and standing your ground. If they change something, it’s okay to be like, “That’s not how I see it. Maybe let’s try this instead.” That can be applied to acting as well and being confident in your choices and not being afraid to have conversations with a director.

PC: You’ve dropped two singles so far. What was that process like deciding what you would release? Can we expect more music from you in the future?
Adam: I’d like to continue to work on music. I put out one single last year, one single this year. Releasing an EP someday would be nice. I like to aim low. [laughs] Aiming low allows you to actually get stuff done rather than being like, “I’m going to release a full album,” which will likely never happen. It’s tough because I’m the only person working on this. If I don’t work on it, it won’t get done. The process takes a while. I would definitely love to do more; it’s just finding the time and resources to do so. I can only do much on my laptop before I need people who actually went to school for this to help me out.

As far as picking what songs I’d release, I made a few demos. I sent them to my friends and people I trust. Usually, there’s a general consensus between myself and everyone where we’re like, “This one is clearly the catchiest.” It’s scary to put out a single because if you put out an EP or album and someone doesn’t like one of the songs, they can just skip to the next one. I’m just trying to put out something that I would enjoy listening to. That’s all you can ultimately do at the end of the day. My goal is to make something that I would enjoy listening to at night. I tend to listen to more laidback, downbeat, chill stuff, so I feel like that’s the lane that I want to work in. You want to be authentic to your tastes. It would feel inauthentic for me to make hyper pop or country music because I don’t listen to those genres. I don’t know anything about those genres.

PC: How did you come up with the artist name for this project?
Adam: Yeah, I didn’t want to use my own name; I wanted to use that for my acting. I wanted this to be its own project where I have the freedom to do whatever I want. I was walking in Toronto with my friend, Atticus, who I worked with on Radio Rebel. We were throwing names back and forth. I actually forgot which one of us said Good One, but it seemed like the right fit for the music. It has multiple meanings. Everyone can interpret something different from it, which is what I liked about it originally. It gave me the freedom to explore whichever genre I wanted. That’s the thing with the singles—the next song can be completely different from the last. I’m exploring and learning as I go.

Pop Culturalist Speed

PC: An artist or band that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Adam: Lauryn Hill. She’s amazing.

PC: First album you bought?
Adam: Probably *NSYNC. I’m really dating myself here.

PC: First concert you attended?
Adam: I went to Weezer when the Red album came out.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Adam: I don’t know if I have a particular venue, but it would be cool to travel around Canada playing at different venues.

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Adam: Survivor.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Adam: I could watch Walk Hard over and over again.

PC: Favorite book?
Adam: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Adam: I’ve seen Book of Mormon three times.

PC: Dream role?
Adam: Playing a superhero like Spider-Man or being on a show like The Office or Parks and Rec.

To keep up with Adam and his artist project, follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music. Pick up or stream “Sleepwalk” today.

Photo Credit: Cody Briggs