music | Ad Vanderveen

Camino Wayside – Ad Vanderveen.

Spain and Greece were the scenes for laying the groundwork of a surprise album in summer 2024, when songwriter-singer Ad Vanderveen took a guitar, a field recorder and some microphones to accompany him on his musical adventures.

Intending to make some sonic souvenirs and writing demos, the songs flowed one into another and took place and shape just playing for fun in inspiring environments, giving these recordings something that wouldn’t happen in a studio.

As Ad tells it:

“We were asked to play in San Sebastiàn, Spain in spring ’24 and struck up a friendship with the promoters there, who then invited us to stay at their house in the summer. It was a place with one side overlooking the ocean and the other the Camino de Santiago, the famous pilgrim route. I had always been curious about the Camino and every day I would sit and play watching the pilgrims walk by, backpacks and all, headed for their destination.

I was thinking about when you have a destination the search is over and the work begins, putting in the miles. Not knowing where you’re going is the hardest part of a spiritual journey. And although I don’t have that many miles to walk myself I could relate to them, only it’s a camino within that I’m on.

I would talk to some pilgrims and walk with them a while and it transpired into a song called ‘Old Camino Road’.
I made a recording of it in a room with nice acoustics and a scenic view. Listening back I thought it had a special feeling and sound and I decided that I should record my other new songs in there as well.

When I was finished by the end of our stay I felt that there was something special about the unity and atmosphere of this group of songs. We took it to the studio and did some dubs like harmony vocals, an old Spanish guitar, bass, percussion, electric guitar, cello, piano, and banjo.

Two more songs were added to the selection, the serene ‘Music Of The Spheres’ , written on Samos island in Greece earlier in the summer – and a gritty electric version of the Neil Young song ‘Thrasher’ . This gives the record an arc ranging from intimate acoustic to rocky electric, a contrast that’s always been with me.

The result is that I find myself with an album that happened sooner than I had time to think. The previous one ‘ Rise In Love’ was much more elaborate and is still making the rounds, but this one overtook it by surprise.

Well, the Muse won’t wait and when it comes knocking I have to answer, that’s how I’ve always lived my life and I’m very happy to keep following that.”

Camino Wayside will be released on jan 31 2025. Stay tuned for details.

Camino Wayside Ad Vanderveen – Song by song

1 Catch Lightning

When the atmosphere is charged you can feel it. When you reach up it can come crashing down. That’s how it felt at the beginning of this record.

2 Old Camino Road

I was always curious about the Camino de Santiago in Spain and by chance ended up staying at a house situated right on it. This song came from watching the pilgrims walk by and talking to some of them.

3 Crazy Dreams

Doing what I do went against how I was brought up. I was supposed to head for the world of establishment, whatever that meant. I often felt foolish and uncertain about pursuing a professional musical life but there was a strong dream. I thought I stood a chance to live it and I ‘m grateful that I did.

4 See What Love Can Do

A social commentary as a variation on Woody Guthrie’s song. I was with some Ukrainian people who fled to my country and this is what I thought and felt.

5 Act Of Love

My dad and I were not on speaking terms when he died. He disagreed with my choices in life and had harsh words to say about it.
But when I was young he brought me a guitar from Mexico, I don’t remember ever moving it but somehow it has stayed with me until now. I picked it up the other day and remembered that as an act of love.

6 Nothingness Is All

Blowing bubbles is a great metaphor. It appears as reality while it lasts. Inside is the same as outside. There’s only a thin film that makes it look separate, until it bursts.

7 Music Of The Spheres

The great mystic Pythagoras spoke of this music that is audible in the cosmos. He was born on the island of Samos where I wanted to record this in the foothills of the mountain where he once practised it.

8 Nothing Written In Stone

Music is always in motion, it’s hard to say what the definitive version of a song might be.

9 Some Kinda Blues

This started out as a kind of trance chord progression in a bluesy vein. Words filled themselves in improvising along.

10 Thrasher

I went to Neil Young’s news page and it was black for some time. It gave me a shock and I thought he had left his favorite planet. I wanted to pay tribute and was happy to do it while he’s alive. An electric version of this song didn’t exist as far as I knew.

11 Too Many Words

Self explanatory. Words only go so far. Fortunately there’s music.

Press quotes US/UK/CAN

Having roots rock artists coming from all over the world is not an uncommon thing these days. The problem quite a few of these artists usually have is the deep understanding of the musical sources they are using.

Yet, when they do reach that understanding, they can come up with some outstanding music. When they do so, it is often because they don’t stick strictly to the cannons of folk, country or rock, but mix those elements freely, adding touches of pop or their native background to the mix to come up with something truly interesting.

That is exactly what Ad Vanderveen, native of Amsterdam, Netherlands has been doing for the last 15 years of his career.
Sure, Vanderveen takes cues from such greats as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, but obviously feels no genre restrictions when he’s making his music, drifting freely between country, folk and rock.
(Rock At Night – by Ljubinko Zivkovic)

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The beauty of Ad Vanderveen’s artistry is it never feels like he is out of his depth musically. No matter what influences he incorporates, Vanderveen is firmly at the helm. And that is the true genius of this record.
(Screen Legion, US – by Spencer Elliott)

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Folk troubadour Ad Vanderveen sings songs of the human condition with a wistful lilt and a perceptive voice. Culled from the preeminent folk influences of the 20th century, his tracks are heartfelt, vulnerable, and have an unfettered sense of sincerity and real-world exposition.

Vanderveen again proves his folk chops by writing a welcoming album that brings you to that home on the range. On this effort, he seems to have coalesced more of a signature sound relying less on the tropes of his forebears while still honouring the lineage.
(Music-News, UK- By Jon C. Ireson)

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Superbly wrought, mirroring the exquisite aromas of Bob Dylan and Neil Young – a monumental work of art.
(Tattoo US – by Randall Radic)

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For most of this LP Vanderveen simply contents himself with majestic acoustic guitar sounds, so perspicuous in their tracking and manifestation they’re a delight to hear without any vocals whatsoever—although vocals certainly enrich them.
(Breaking and Entering, US – by Duece)

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A beautifully thought out record that pulls on the heartstrings when necessary, but overall is a warm and inviting listen. His vocals are able to portray the emotion in the lyrics with ease and because of his years of songwriting, he knows when a track needs to hold back or let loose a little. A lovely listen.
(Vinyl Chapters, US)

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With a legacy that’s easily traced back some 35 years, Ad Vanderveen has earned a reputation amongst his knowing devotees as an excellent and articulate journeyman, a man whose meditative musings find him respected on both sides of the folks/roots divide. Born in Holland but partly of Canadian heritage, his music transcends any singular tradition courtesy of his deeply melodious music, his deft instrumental interplay and a rich, resonant vocal.
(Goldmine, US – by Lee Zimmerman)

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Ad Vanderveen’s reflective musings give his songs a quiet charm that’s all but irresistible, one reason his work makes him the absolute epitome of an accomplished acoustic bard whose tools of the trade come in the form of a guitar, a melodious voice and a songs flush with heartfelt sentiment.
(No Depression, US – by Lee Zimmerman)

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Ad Vanderveen is Dutch. He lives in Amsterdam. And he sounds like a guy who has spent his life wandering around coffee shops in Madison. The accent probably comes from his Canadian parents (though I still think he sounds American, if possibly North Woods), and the music mainlines from 60s Neil Young.

These almost-acoustic pieces are enhanced by an electric lead guitar that often provides a melodic counterpoint to Vanderveen’s vocals. That, too, is a Young trademark, though Vanderveen’s playing is much more supple than the ragged wails of his hero.

These songs spin stories that are told both musically and lyrically. All of the pieces dovetail into some truly lovely and arresting climaxes. Vanderveen builds his songs with care and very little wasted motion. These well-oiled pieces satisfy immensely.

I’m always intrigued when sounds come back after spending some time overseas. In this case, Vanderveen’s take on this sound presents very few mutations. The fit with late 60s folk rock is exceptional. And while Vanderveen doesn’t experiment much with his influences, he shows a sure-handed mastery of the material. This is a work of remarkable beauty.

(Aiding and Abetting, US – by Jon Worley)