Crash Adams On ‘Crashing Into Your Living Room Vol. 1’ – A Tribute to Vintage Charm and Modern Sound

Text: Jeremy Whitaker

In their debut EP, Crashing Into Your Living Room Vol. 1, Crash Adams trades in their familiar velvet couch for a newfound blend of vintage allure and modern sensibility. The whimsically colorful formula of their visuals and many singles still exists, but this Crash Adams is more refined. "For us, the journey is about evolving with the next chapter,” reflects the duo. "It started off with the couch and one room. You'll probably be seeing a lot less suits and when a suit does show up, it's going to be a damn nice one.”

This evolution is about more than an intentional color palette and nicer suits; it’s also reflected in the thoughtfully crafted lyrics and the seamless synergy between the two artists. This EP is the culmination of a lifetime of experience. Reflecting on their origins, Vince “Adams” Sasso recalls, "I got my first guitar when I was 10.” Rafaele "Crash" Massarelli adds, "And I was a DJ in college; I used to DJ dance music."

Although Crash and Adams had known each other their entire lives, it wasn’t until after college that they finally brought their collective knowledge together. According to Adams, "The delusion that we had kept us going. Because he came from the electronic world, it was a completely different perspective when it comes to music. I guess because I came from the rock world it was interesting to him.” Once you understand the background of the duo, the cadences of their music take on a new life. "We always try to make happy-go-lucky music, but at the same time have a message.”

Crash Adams sat down with Rain Magazine to talk Crashing Into Your Living Room Vol. 1 track by track.

“If you could describe the EP with one song, it would be Good Side,” says the duo. They’re right. Everything that fans love about Crash Adams can be encompassed in the rush of the opening track. “Sonically, it just feels right when you hear the piano coming in. This is the start of something. It's got a bit of that party, but at the same time, the lyrics are intentional. It's not too happy-go-lucky but you could listen to it if you're driving down the street or if you need a confidence boost.”

In the title and lyricism exists a duality where references to the sun and the moon and clever double entendres are just the tipping point. “'Good Side' is the ultimate expression of finding somebody who looks at you in a good light, no matter what. You want a partner who looks at you like that, but at the same time, to find that person, you need to be your best self.” The debut EP's opening track holds immense significance, particularly for the boys, as it was released while they were travelling through Southeast Asia, adding a deeply sentimental layer to the song.

“We did a fan meet, a day or two before the song came out. We started playing Good Side and thought they might start singing the chorus, but they started singing from the first lyric. “I was trying not to cry, and I was like, thank God I'm wearing sunglasses. I'm about to bawl. It's pretty cool to be able to go across the world and people love this song.”

“It's a song about living in the moment, having a great time, and some of the wild weekends we've had in Vegas.” While "Somewhere in Vegas" captures Crash Adams classically carefree, it shines as a standout track on the EP. The song possesses a multi-dimensional quality, evoking scents, visuals, and memories of Vegas heat.

When it came together, we were actually in the studio writing a song about a famous actress who was having an absolute moment, killing it. We were trying to write this song, but nothing was sticking. Then one of the producers pulled up, he said, ‘Hey, I have this idea, it's called Somewhere in Vegas,’ and immediately the lyrics wrote themselves.” Like any good song, Crash Adams went through several revisions before the final product. “When we wrote the song, it was slower, and it was almost folky, like what's that song called?”

We shared a collective moment as Crash hummed a tune, both Adams and I striving to decipher the song reference. While Adams usually excels at recognizing Crash's humming, luck wasn't on our side this time. “But as we were tweaking we arrived at that summer banger. If we're writing a song about Vegas, this needs to scream Vegas.”

If Crashing Into Your Living Room Vol. 1 is a hot summer day, “Good & Bad” is like a refreshingly cool breeze. “It’s completely different. We've released a lot of music that has been upbeat, happy, and at the moment we wanted to slow it down and explore some deeper topics. There's always good that you can take from these experiences. The good that happens with the bad makes you who you are.” The epic highs and lows of Crash’s rock past are evident in this track, most noticeable in the crescendo of the chorus. Of all of the songs on the EP, this song has Crash Adams at their most vulnerable, and most thoughtful. “Sonically, it sounds like core Crash Adams. I'm a big fan of when there's a lot of tension and everything hits in the chorus. It's a journey.”

“When you're starting off with someone, you want to put your best foot forward, but let’s dance together at the same time.” Adams' DJ background shines brightest on this track, with its distinctly danceable and club-oriented vibe. Additionally, it's the easiest to envision being performed live. “This one's going to go off live. Our live shows are a party. When people are coming to see us, you're not coming to just stand there and watch, you're dancing, you're jumping. We want to encapsulate that party as who we are. We are dropping this EP followed by getting on the road in as many cities as we possibly can.” “Right Foot First” feels like a legacy song for Crash Adams, one that can be pictured playing for fans long after the release of their debut EP.

Given the depth and creativity showcased in this EP, it’s clear Crash Adams is poised for a dynamic and promising future in music. “When we started Crash Adams we said, we want every EP to be called Crashing Into Your Living Room. Because when you look at the living room, it's a place where people come together, and it's really a warm, inviting space, and that's what our music is. It's a warm, inviting space for all people to come in and have a blast together.”

The final track on the EP is a single first released in 2022. We've never put out a body of work before,” Crash tells Rain Magazine. “It's just been singles. When you think of Crash Adams, our fans will know us for ‘Give Me a Kiss,’ and to us, it embodies who we are. It started everything out. It's been our anchor up until this project, so we felt it was right to put it on there and let it shine with the project as well. Who really is Crash Adams? “We're happy people. We're people who always will put our best selves forward for another person, for ourselves. We're artists. We're blessed to have this platform that we have. I believe we're people who have a chance to raise the vibration of others.”

Crashing Into Your Living Room Vol. 1 is available now: