It takes time to craft a debut album. One worthy of the artist it introduces, and all the work behind it. But for Arista Nashville/Sony Music Nashville’s Adam Doleac, he’s had plenty. “I've had my whole life to write my first record, plus a two-year pandemic,” he says with a wry smile. “So that's like two lifetimes.” Luckily, he made the clock work for him. Creating a whole Barstool Whiskey Wonderland around 18 addictive tracks – almost totally from his own pen – the emerging star unveils a vision steeped in the romantic country soul of his early hits, while going much deeper as well. With tracks like the Gold-certified “Famous” and soul-mate anthem “Another,” both of which hit No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway, fans have gotten only a glimpse of that wonderland so far. Now they get the full picture. “It feels long overdue, and it's the first time people can really see the whole me,” Doleac says. “An album is a cool thing. It allows you to tell a little bit more of your story, as opposed to just people knowing a song and not knowing you.” And for him, a lover of all things old-school with an effortless charm and an intoxicating vocal – well suited to both champagne-popping ballrooms and keg-tapping taverns – that story is worth telling. Raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, you could call him a late musical bloomer, who credits devoted parents for his strong work ethic … and his dream-chasing determination. A talented athlete, Doleac excelled at golf early on, traveling with his dad to faraway tournaments in his first taste of life on the road. The whole family put in the time and Doleac seemed headed for success, but abruptly switched to baseball in high school. That too required a focused drive to retool his skills, and after earning a scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi, he ended up playing in front of 30,000 at the College World Series – fueling a craving for big crowds he still chases today. In the end, he actually had a shot at going pro in both sports, Doleac says, but instead changed course again. He had fallen in love with music, writing songs with teammates and challenging himself to play hometown shows while devouring the work of emotional explorers like John Mayer, Gavin DeGraw, Amos Lee and more. Within months, he decided to leave sports behind for good. “I’m the kind of guy who’s just always reaching for a little bit more, that's just the way I am,” he says. “I have thoroughly believed I can do whatever I set my mind to since I was a kid. And I think you need a little bit of that to get anything this hard done.” “Hard” may be an understatement. Doleac proves the old adage of Nashville being a 10-year town, but for him, those 10 years were not a straight line. Propelled by the viral success of a self-written song posted to YouTube, Doleac arrived in town with a publishing deal, and spent the following years sharpening his penmanship. Eventually Kane Brown, Gabby Barrett, Darius Rucker and more had all cut his songs, while Doleac built a grassroots fanbase touring the country in his pickup truck. With shows growing in size, it seemed like a classic case of grinding forward and loving every mile. He scored a rare Gold-certified independent single and even signed a major-label recording deal, achieving another long-held dream. And then, just as he looked set to push over the top, COVID-19 shut it down. There were postponed tours. And then stolen equipment when touring resumed. Then there were cancelled tours. But all the while he was building that Barstool Whiskey Wonderland . Doleac slowed down, spent time with the girlfriend who is now his fiancée, and wrote 150 songs. “It's been tough and we've had a lot of bad breaks, a lot of opportunities to give up for sure,” he admits. “But I haven't, and my guys haven't, and it's time for the moment to happen. It's like, ‘Maybe everything's coming together for this record. Maybe it's right...

Adam Doleac

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