Adam Klobi Breaks Down His Impeccable Debut EP, ‘YESTERDAY, TODAY’
Adam Klobi’s rise has taken shape quickly. The Toronto-based singer-songwriter only began seriously pursuing music in 2023, after a spontaneous moment pushed him to pick up a guitar and see where that instinct might lead. From there, he started posting online, gradually building an audience through both original songs and stripped-back covers that introduced his voice to a wider group of listeners. And that early momentum has already started to translate in a meaningful way, with his breakout single “Dinner” climbing to around 10 million streams across platforms while other releases continue to find an audience as well.
Now, that growth leads into YESTERDAY, TODAY, a debut EP that already feels clear in its point of view. Released on March 20, the seven-track project moves through heartbreak, memory, and emotional fallout with a pop-leaning singer-songwriter sensibility, carried by detail-rich songs like “DISENGAGE,” “WE WERE NEVER JUST FRIENDS,” “FICTION,” and “A SONG FOR SIENA.” There is also a sense of emotional focus to the record that makes it stand out, especially for a first project, because it introduces Klobi as an artist with a firm grasp on the kind of stories he wants to tell.
Still, what also makes YESTERDAY, TODAY connect to its full potential is the way it handles familiar feelings with enough specificity to keep them from blurring together. Klobi writes about longing, confusion, and the aftershocks of relationships in a way that still feels personal, while the production pulls from 2000s pop and singer-songwriter influences without leaning too heavily on imitation. And the result is a debut that feels cohesive, emotionally direct, and strong enough to suggest that this is only the beginning of something bigger.
Congratulations on the release of your first EP, YESTERDAY, TODAY! When you first started building this project, what did you want it to say about you as an artist?
Adam Klobi: Thank you so much! This EP means a lot to me, and I think it says exactly what I wanted it to. I had such an odd start to making music when my FIRST song really took off. That made me feel as if I had to continue making music within the same box. YESTERDAY, TODAY is a taste of who I truly am as an artist and pushes its way towards sounds and genres I grew up listening to.
At what point did it become clear to you that these songs belonged on the same project rather than living on their own?
Adam Klobi: I wrote them all on my first real writing trip, so in a way they were already tied together in some right. I’ve always been the type of music listener who obsesses over projects and concepts, so I think once my mind started filling in the blanks between a few of these demos, I was eager to pull them into the same world.
This EP spends some time in the messier parts of relationships and emotional fallout. What did you most want to capture about those experiences?
Adam Klobi: The feelings that hit you in the chest. To me, the project is very much about living in the space of nostalgia and a very past tense of life. In that vein, highlighting the most painful or beautiful parts was necessary because those are always the moments in relationships you can’t seem to shake.
The project also carries a strong—and entirely magnetic—early-2000s influence in its sound and mood. What is it about that era of music that pulls you in?
Adam Klobi: I grew up with my headphones in. Nothing but crappy pop punk and emo adjacent ballads. Anything that could put my head on the bus window and pretend my world was ending. Everything about it feels so much larger than life and it takes me so far away from where I happen to be when I hear it. I wanted to attempt to replicate how that feels for me.
With a first project like this, there’s always the question of what to reveal and what to leave unsaid. How did you decide what belonged on YESTERDAY, TODAY?
Adam Klobi: That was a tough choice for sure. That being said, seven songs on an EP is kind of atypical. I couldn’t choose what to leave off the project because each song had a purpose and life of its own within it. The biggest internal problem I faced was the completely incorrect notion of trying not to “scare off” any listeners that might have been listening from day one. The reaction to the project's release made me realize that was a flawed train of thought and that I have to make music that’s true to me.
“DISENGAGE” is such a standout on the EP—and a personal favorite—in the way it moves between bigger emotional peaks and softer, more restrained moments. How did you approach shaping that balance within the song?
Adam Klobi: This is a perfect follow-up after the last question because “DISENGAGE” is a song I thought might ‘scare off’ listeners coming from a more folk-pop-centered start. One of the favorite songs I’ve made so far, and it came so naturally. I really wanted to break into a more indie/alt rock mindset, but knew I wanted to keep it balanced with dynamic moments. I’m really proud of how it turned out, and you can definitely expect me to lean heavily into that sound for future songs.
Because you came into music relatively recently, did making this EP teach you anything unexpected about your instincts as an artist?
Adam Klobi: I feel like it’s been such a learning crash course I’ve been on over the last few years. The one thing I’ve learned is I’m actually not bad at this thing. Writing and singing, that is, I think instrumentally I’ve got some work to do [laughs]. The process of making this EP taught me to lean into my initial instincts and to not overcomplicate songs. Oftentimes, less has proven to be way more.
Now that YESTERDAY, TODAY is out in the world, which song feels like the clearest introduction to who you are at this point?
Adam Klobi: I’d say listening to the project start to finish should give a decent idea of who I am, but if I had to pick a select few to be on the forefront, I definitely could. Funny enough, it’s all of the tracks that weren’t singles, “DISENGAGE,” “WAY HOME,” and “GROW.” A live band-like dynamic is something I’m looking forward to moving forward.
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Photography: Archie Sandall
Words/Editor-in-Chief: Aedan Juvet
