Adam Banton, Get To Know This Quirky BMX Pro

Adam Banton is somewhat of a glitch in normalcy.  He rides BMX bikes but is sponsored by a guitar company. He eats gourmet dog treats when his poodle isn’t looking and will argue to great lengths that teal is the proper color for any sports car worth it’s weight in luxury.  But when it comes to cyber-twin amps and custom picks in his tail bridge, music is its own tangent.

Lat34: How many years have you been riding and when did it all begin?

AB: The first real bike I got was a GT 1987 Pro Freestyle Tour.  At least that was what a "real" bike was back then. It was sweet.  Blue with all the pegs a bike can handle and white mags on it. My brakes never worked with those crappy mags. I was 13 and living in slightly rural Northern Virginia. At that time any body I saw on a bike was an influence to me. Especially any magazine I could get my hands on.

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Lat34:Why is teal such an amazing color?

AB: Well, I have a Teal 1994 Honda Civic EX. In the mid to later 1990's automobile manufacturers thought it'd be a good color. They were right, for about 1 year. So come to find out that teal is really just a dated color that most consumers thinks is bad. I like it though. It's easy to find your car in parking lots, my teal Eastern bike looks sweet on my roof rack, but most of all, I'm ahead of the trend when teal is cool again for 5 minutes! Wahoo!

Lat34: Have you ever eaten your dog's gourmet pup treats and why are they so good?

AB: Well, now that you ask I'll confess. Yes, I have eaten not just one, but close to finishing off an entire bag of these little Oreo cookie type treats for dogs. Chocolate is bad for dogs, the replacement ingredient is carob. It's an all natural substitute that taste similar to chocolate. The box of cookies DOES say human quality. They’re pretty good!

Lat34:How may years have you been playing the guitar and when did it all?

AB: I got my first hand me down guitar when I was around 14 or 15. A guy my dad worked with gave it to him for me. I was stoked to get a free guitar! I was really into music at an early age so I think my dad knew I would like it. I played on and off for about 6 years. Then the winter of 95' I broke my leg really bad and got a low-end Fender acoustic for my birthday to help with the down time.

This is really the time I think I tapped into playing. So all in all I have about 12 years under my belt.

Lat34: You were invited on the Props Rock and Roll Road Fools Tour this fall, how was it having your two livelihoods converge- music and bike riding?

AB: BUSY is one word that comes to mind. It was a really amazing experience, I learned a lot of valuable things as far as traveling on the rode with my gear and how to be prepared. It's weird but my favorite part was setting up my amp and stuff on the stage at every stop. I was pretty nervous to play at every show. I guess that will go away with experience. As far as riding, I had a great time riding the good skateparks we rode and people I rode with. Made some new friends too! Even though it was busy doing both, I would love to do it all over again.

Lat34:Describe your past two music projects and what it took to write that music?

AB: This is something I would imagine that every musician has a tough time doing. I feel energized to write new material after I get home from the road. I switch my focus from BMX to music and it helps me settle down. This is usually the time when I can come up with a new riff, sound of "ditty" which sometimes turns out to be an entire new song. My past to albums are all thoughts and experiences into music from my where my bike has taken me really. Long hours in rental vans watching the sunset in the middle of nowhere, people watching at a diner in the sleepy Midwest; there are a million things that contribute to what gets blended up in my head and ultimately comes out in through my music. I have always been huge Sonic Youth fan; they can make an out of tune guitar sound perfect and a tuned guitar sound ugly. I like that. Sebadoh and Christie Front Drive have also made huge impact on me. Go check them out at iTunes, you can check out my second album there too!

Lat34:Where has BMX taken you?

AB: I think every state in the U.S, Canada, Germany, France. Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, England, Holland.

Lat34:Where has music taken you?

AB: I played at the Winter X Games ski lodge and did some live radio stations for X Games too. The Props Rock & Roll Road Fools that I mentioned went through Tennessee, Texas, Missouri, Illinois, and Michigan.

Lat34:How does a guitar company come to sponsor a bike rider?

AB: Well, a few years ago Fender started to get involved with action sports. I think they found out that there are a lot of us that actually play music too. They recognized this and have been very supportive of some selected athletes. I started using some of my own music for BMX videos about 5 years ago. I have never owned anything else than Fenders my entire life, so it’s fitting and also a dream come true to have their support. I talked to Fender's Artist Relations, Alex Perez, about what kind of sound I want out of my amp and guitar, and my personal style of playing too. The end result was a re-issue Fender Jaguar/w custom Seymour Duncan picks in the tail bridge and a Fender cyber-twin amp. I also have a Mexico Strat that I got for my 23rd birthday that I love just as much. I've had that the longest, so I kinda feel closer to it. We history, ya know? If you play than you'll understand and it doesn't sound as creepy. That Fender acoustic that I got when I broke my leg was stolen from American Airlines while flying to Wisconsin to help a friend with a sound track on his independent film. I was really sad about that one. I had a broken leg for almost a year with that guitar. I miss it. Its replacement did not disappoint though. Fender got me a GA-45SCE electric/acoustic cut away. The tone of this guitar is beautiful as acoustics get for me back this up with the Fender Accousticsonic ultra light amp and you have a world-class sound. I still look at everything and my jaw hits the floor every time.

Lat34:What are the best places to see bands in LA?

AB: Probably the Whiskey and Spaceland.

Lat34:What are the best street riding spots in LA area?

AB: Downtown, El Segundo, The Primo Ramps, Santa Monica skatepark, Can I mention downtown again, it's that good.

Lat34:What are some places to go if you wanted to get cultured in the City of Angels?

AB: MMMmmmmm.  Amoeba record store, a Runyan Canyon hike, The Whiskey, Guitar Center on Sunset, The Museum of Jurassic Technology, In-and-out Burger!