Growing up, Eastern Tennessee-based songwriter Adeem the Artist quickly realized that with the right delivery, dark jokes could offer a socially acceptable way to open up about the tough stuff. “My parents are both from a lot of generational trauma, and I was born right at the heart of it,” Adeem says. “Humor is just how we survived.” Of course, since before 2021’s Cast-Iron Pansexual—the album that earned Adeem the Artist praise from Rolling Stone and American Songwriter, Adeem the Artist has continued to build a dedicated following by blending Appalachian musical influences and poetic flair with their healthy dose of comedic instinct, and recently, they announced an upcoming album on their own Four Quarters Records label, White Trash Revelry. (Adeem the Artist, 2022)

Out on December 2, White Trash Revelry delivers a fresh batch of Adeem’s beloved comedic sensibilities, tempered with vulnerable moments and highly specific personal details. Tender strings and clear vocals give way to nuanced storytelling about small-town rites of passage and mixed messages about love, violence, and honor. Songs like “Heritage of Arrogance” tackle larger societal issues, struggling to reconcile open-minded intentions with the deeply flawed and historical narratives too often peddled by white Southerners. But the album’s namesake revelry is around every corner, too.

Adeem the Artist shared “Middle of a Heart” from White Trash Revelry. “I wrote this song for my friend Bob in many ways,” they say. “Bob was a retired Knoxville Police Officer who I’d make bacon and eggs for every morning and we’d watch the news and watch the birds and he’d tell me stories about Carlene and the boys. I miss him, still.” At times sweet and sad, “Middle of a Heart” is a shining example of Adeem’s skillful storytelling, with a plot turn leaving listeners awestruck. “It hits like a bullet in the middle of a heart.”

Fans can watch Adeem’s previously-released “Going To Hell” video now and pre-order or pre-save White Trash Revelry ahead of its December 2 release. Check out upcoming Adeem the Artist tour dates below.

White Trash Revelry track list: 

1. Carolina
2. For Judas
3. Heritage of Arrogance
4. Painkillers & Magic
5. Run This Town
6. Baptized In Well Spirits
7. Middle Of A Heart
8. Going To Hell
9. Rednecks & Unread Hicks
10. Books & Records
11. My America

Adeem’s twang-studded gospel represents a worldview too often excluded from modern country music, one that converts shame into celebration. It turns out, folks like the sound of embracing the parts of ourselves we are told to bury—so much so that when Adeem turned to fans to support the follow-up album to Cast-Iron Pansexual, thousands obliged. Dubbing it a “redneck fundraiser,” the seventh-generation Carolinian raised the money to release White Trash Revelry by asking for one dollar at a time through social media. “With four quarters and a Venmo,” they joked, “baby, you can make this dream come true.” Adeem emerged from the fundraiser $15,000 later with a name for their new record label—Four Quarters Records—and the resolve to write an unapologetic next chapter.