On the surface, a story like Adam Jensen’s seems all too common in the music industry: an aimless, mischievous youth is heading down the wrong path until, almost serendipitously, he picks up an instrument and changes his life. But, dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that Adam Jensen’s story is a stupefying coming-of-age tale, filled with bookies and bar brawls, guns and gangsters, recovery and redemption. It’s a small miracle that Jensen is alive; let alone producing some of the most vibrant and inspiring songs of the last few years. 
 It’s no surprise that Jensen comes from Boston, given his laughably thick accent that all but disappears when he sings. When asked about his story, Jensen wears his heart on his sleeve. “I’ll be the first to admit it – I used to get in a lot of trouble.” 
 After being kicked out of George Washington University and Northeastern University for fighting and stripped of his athletic scholarship, he made money working for a bookie. Stabbings, arrests, fights, scars, prison time, weekly supervised check-ins; these were just some of the reasons he decided to make a change. 
 Even during the darkest of days, Jensen always made time for music. “I started playing piano when I was about 9 years old,” he explains. Then, when I was 12, I saw Kurt Cobain on MTV and immediately started teaching myself guitar.” 
 Though Jensen is – in some ways – still finding his footing, he has already made a name for himself with his unique brand of alternative rock.