Adam Bell-Bastien is the newest member of Home Free, joining over the summer after Austin Brown made the decision to leave the group, but he isn’t a stranger to the all-vocal band. Bastien’s history with Home Free goes back to their early years, when he almost became one of the members, never dreaming that he would become part of the iconic group more than a decade later.

“It was surreal when I realized that this was going to be happening,” Bastien tells B95 Flint radio station, when asked what it felt like to become an official member. “I actually got to sing with Home Free in 2010 and 2011, as a long-term sub, when they were in the first process of rebuilding their group and getting new members. I toured with them all throughout the Midwest and the western United States, doing state fairs, county fairs, and things like that, and had the time of my life. It was right around the same time that I had moved to New York City, just to kind of see what I could drum up for myself there in my career. When they approached me and asked me at that point if I wanted to join full-time, I declined. I said, ‘I think I just want to see what I can make happen over here in New York.'”

Only one year later, Bastien watched as Home Free won The Sing-Off, which became the launching pad for their now-legendary career.

“They blew up. I was watching from my apartment, like, ‘Oh my God, did I just make the worst decision of my life?'” Bastien, who sings on Home Free’s latest Any Kind of Christmas album, recalls. “But it really was perfect timing. I had a lot of growth left to do, as a singer and as an artist, and I really got to do that over the years living in New York. And then when it came back around, it came at a time when I was feeling like it was time for something new in my career. When Tim [Foust] first reached out to me, it kind of didn’t feel real, but the conversation started earlier this year. To think where we are now versus where I was at the beginning of the year, is just mind-blowing.”

Bastien isn’t at all surprised at the success of Home Free, as they continue to sell out venues on tour and exponentially grow their fanbase.

“I think that with a cappella and with Home Free specifically, there is a level of authenticity that comes through the music,” he explains. “When you’re dealing with just voices, and voices making all of the music together, there’s this pure honesty that comes through. And then when you pair that with country music, which is also one of the most authentic genres of music, because it’s all based on story-telling and real-life experiences, I think those two things really come together beautifully.”

Now officially a part of Home Free, it’s likely that Bastien will remain a member of the group for years to come.

“I may be a little bit biased, just from the perspective of working with the guys, [but] they’re all just very humble, down-to-earth, real people,” Bastien boasts. “I think that over the years, they’ve been able to really build a catalog of music that resonates with listeners because it’s coming from a place of honesty and of pure love for music and singing.”

Home Free is currently on their Any Kind of Christmas Tour. Find all of Home Free’s music and upcoming shows at HomeFreeMusic.com.