Ryan Adams Performs Songs Off New Album “Ashes & Fire” – Street Date Exclusive

“ It took the same amount of time 'Heartbreaker' did... It just revealed itself as it was.
” Ryan Adams, on new album 'Ashes & Fire' “I just want to play my songs,” says Ryan Adams, when asked about the format for his current string of tour dates which will feature the singer performing solo. One guitar, one chair, one spotlight – those are the only things fans will see as the curtain goes up and Adams takes the stage to play songs from his new album Ashes & Fire. Adams visited our New York studios recently for a preview of two songs from the album, “Lucky Now” and the title track “Ashes & Fire” plus a gorgeous stripped-down rendition of “Let It Ride.”

“Ashes & Fire“

“ In the truest sense of the word, it was the most collaborative, most producer-like experience I've ever had.
” Adams, on working with Glyn Johns The creation of Ashes & Fire found Ryan Adams in a creative collaboration unlike any he’d experienced before. Legendary rock producer Glyn Johns, the man behind such seminal albums as The Who‘s Who’s Next and The Rolling Stones‘ Exile on Main St, kicked off the Ashes & Fire sessions with a face-to-face meeting. Adams sat across a conference table from Johns and played his new songs on an acoustic guitar. Johns listened, made arrangement suggestions, and the two set about selecting musicians to invite in for the recording sessions. The rest, as Adams shares in our interview, is history.

Ryan Adams Interview

Ashes & Fire was recorded in less than two weeks and served as a springboard for Adams’ leap back into touring, which he kicked off in Europe with a string of no-frills solo/acoustic shows in concert halls across the Continent. Since returning to the United States to promote the album, he’s agreed to a short run of dates at landmark venues like New York’s Carnegie Hall and Baltimore’s Lyric Opera House. One new song audiences are sure to enjoy is “Lucky Now,” though it’s hard to imagine a more captivating than the one Adams turned in during our studio session. Hit play below to watch this outstanding tune from Ashes & Fire.

“Lucky Now“

Longtime fans of Ryan Adams will recognize this last song from his 2005 double album Cold Roses. “Let It Ride” was a staple during his tours with The Cardinals and was an ideal vehicle for that lineup’s guitar-driven, Nashville-tinged sound. By contrast this stripped-down rendition exhibits a tenderness and intimacy that places the song’s lyrical content at the forefront, eliciting empathy from the listener. It’s not hard to visualize Adams alone on the big stage, illuminated by one white light, connecting with his audience on the most intimate level possible.

“Let It Ride“

1. Dirty Rain
2. Ashes & Fire
3. Come Home
4. Rocks
5. Do I Wait
6. Chains Of Love
7. Invisible Riverside
8. Save Me
9. Kindness
10. Lucky Now
11. I Love You But I Don’t Know What To Say