Destroyer (Ryan Adams Album)
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David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of
alt-country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style f ...
band
Whiskeytown Whiskeytown was an American alternative country band formed in 1994 from Raleigh, North Carolina. Fronted by Ryan Adams, the group included members Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, and Mike Daly. They disbanded in 2000 with ...
. In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released his debut solo album, ''
Heartbreaker Heartbreaker(s) or The Heart Breaker(s) may refer to: Film and television *''The Heart Breakers'', a 1916 film starring Andrew Arbuckle *''The Heart Breaker'', a 1925 film directed by Benjamin Stoloff * ''Heartbreaker'' (1983 film), an American f ...
'', to critical acclaim. The album was nominated for the
Shortlist Music Prize The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under ...
. The following year, his profile increased with the release of the UK certified-gold ''
Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
'', which included the single, "
New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
". During this time, Adams worked on several unreleased albums, which were consolidated into a third solo release, ''
Demolition Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
'' (2002). Working at a prolific rate, Adams released the
classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
-influenced ''
Rock N Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
'' (2003), after a planned album, '' Love Is Hell'', was rejected by his label Lost Highway. As a compromise, ''Love Is Hell'' was released as two EPs and eventually released in its full-length state in 2004. After breaking his wrist during a live performance, Adams took a short break, and formed
The Cardinals The Cardinals were an American R&B group of the 1950s. Sharing a legacy with the Orioles, The Cardinals are remembered as one of the best R&B ballad acts to come out of Baltimore. Origins The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year before ...
, a backing band that accompanied him on his next four studio albums. In 2009, after the release of ''
Cardinology ''Cardinology'' is the tenth studio album by Ryan Adams, and fourth album with his backing band Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, The Cardinals, released on October 28, 2008. The album completed Adams' contract with Lost Highway Records, and marks his ...
'' (2009), Adams disbanded The Cardinals and announced an extended break from music due to complications from
Ménière's disease Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected initial ...
. The following year, however, Adams resumed performing and released his
Glyn Johns Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English musician, recording engineer and record producer. Biography Early history Johns was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. He had three siblings, two older sisters and a younger brother, Andy ...
-produced 13th studio album, ''
Ashes & Fire ''Ashes & Fire'' is the 13th studio album by Ryan Adams, released on October 11, 2011, on PAX AM and Capitol. Recorded with producer Glyn Johns, ''Ashes & Fire'' marks Adams' return to recording following the disbandment of his band the Cardin ...
'', in late 2011. The album peaked at No. 7 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In September 2014, Adams released his fourteenth album, ''
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...
'', on his own
PAX AM Pax Americana Recording Company, also known as PAX-AM, is a record label founded by Ryan Adams. Established in 2004, the label released certain of Adams’ then-unpublished demo recordings. Following Adams' fulfillment of a recording contract ...
label, and formed a new backing band, The Shining, to support the release. In 2015, Adams released ''
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
'', a song-for-song cover of
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
's album of the same name, and worked on up to 80 songs for an album influenced by his divorce from actress and singer-songwriter
Mandy Moore Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her debut studio album, '' So Real'' (1999), recei ...
. The album, ''
Prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
'', was released in 2017. In 2019, Adams announced three albums to be released that year. However, the release of these albums was indefinitely delayed after seven women came forward with
sexual misconduct Sexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature which exists on a spectrum that may include a broad range of sexual behaviors considered unwelcome. This includes conduct considered inappropriate on an individual or societal basis of morality, se ...
allegations against him. He later issued an apology, and the FBI cleared him of any potential criminal charges. Adams eventually released the planned albums, '' Wednesdays'', '' Big Colors'', and ''Chris'', yearly from 2020 to 2022. ''Chris'' was followed by three further albums, all released in 2022 as well. In addition to his own material, Adams has also produced albums for
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
,
Jesse Malin Jesse Malin (born January 26, 1967) is an American rock musician, guitarist, and songwriter. Starting his performing career in the New York hardcore band Heart Attack, and rising to prominence as vocalist of D Generation, a solo recording artis ...
,
Jenny Lewis Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She was the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child a ...
, and
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
, and has collaborated with
Counting Crows Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, David Immerglück, bass guitarist Mil ...
,
Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing v ...
,
Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...
,
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Minnie Driver Amelia Fiona Jessica "Minnie" Driver (born 31 January 1970) is an English actress. She rose to prominence with her break-out role in 1995's '' Circle of Friends''. She went on to star in a wide range of films including the cult classic ''Grosse ...
,
Cowboy Junkies Cowboy Junkies are an alternative country and folk rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1985 by Alan Anton (bassist), Michael Timmins (songwriter, guitarist), Peter Timmins (drummer) and Margo Timmins (vocalist). The three Timminses ...
,
Leona Naess Leona Kristina Naess (or Næss) (born 31 July 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. She released her debut album, '' Comatised'', in March 2000, which produced the single "Charm Attack" (Adult Top 40 #29). Biography Early life Naess was ...
,
Toots and the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...
,
Beth Orton Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician, known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weatherall, ...
and Krista Polvere. He has written '' Infinity Blues'', a book of poems, and '' Hello Sunshine'', a collection of poems and short stories.


Early life

David Ryan Adams was born on November 5, 1974, in
Jacksonville, North Carolina Jacksonville is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,723, which makes Jacksonville the 14th-largest city in North Carolina. Jacksonville is the county seat and most populous commun ...
. He is the middle of three children with an older brother and younger sister. His childhood has been described as "dysfunctional". His father left when he was five at which time he, his mother and his siblings had to move in with his grandparents since they became homeless as a result of the divorce. He has said in an interview, "I became who I am now because of my grandparents" and of his grandmother "...she was like a mother to me." His mother remarried when he was 13. His brother died in 2017 of an undisclosed illness. At the age of 8, Adams began writing short stories and limericks on his grandmother's typewriter. In his own words, "I started writing short stories when I was really into
Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...
. Then later, when I was a teenager, I got really hard into cult fiction:
Hubert Selby, Jr. Hubert "Cubby" Selby Jr. (July 23, 1928 – April 26, 2004) was an American writer. Two of his novels, ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' (1964) and ''Requiem for a Dream (novel), Requiem for a Dream'' (1978) explore worlds in the New York area and were ...
,
Henry Miller Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, social criticism, philosophical ref ...
,
Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian a ...
." At 14, Adams began learning to play an electric guitar his mother and stepfather had bought him and soon joined a local band named Blank Label. While they quickly disbanded, they did record a short three-track 7-inch record, in 1991. Adams dropped out of Jacksonville High School in 10th grade, at the age of 16, subsequently moving into bandmate Jere McIlwean's rental house, just outside Jacksonville. Around this time, he played and performed with a number of local bands, most notably his and McIlwean's The Patty Duke Syndrome. After obtaining his
GED The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US high ...
, Adams left Jacksonville for
Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
, shortly followed by McIlwean. The Patty Duke Syndrome broke up in 1994 after releasing a split 7-inch single with GlamourPuss.


Career


Whiskeytown

Following the breakup of his high school band, The Patty Duke Syndrome, Adams helped found
Whiskeytown Whiskeytown was an American alternative country band formed in 1994 from Raleigh, North Carolina. Fronted by Ryan Adams, the group included members Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, and Mike Daly. They disbanded in 2000 with ...
with
Caitlin Cary Caitlin Cary (born October 28, 1968) is an alternative country musician and visual artist from Seville, Ohio. Early life Caitlin Cary is the youngest of seven siblings (all older brothers). Her entire family was involved in music to some degre ...
, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, Steve Grothmann and
Phil Wandscher Phil Wandscher is the former guitarist of the alt-country band Whiskeytown, and is now a member of Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter. Wandscher appeared on Death Cab For Cutie's album ''Transatlanticism ''Transatlanticism'' is the fourth stu ...
. Whiskeytown saw Adams move to
alt-country Alternative country, or alternative country rock (sometimes alt-country, insurgent country, Americana, or y'allternative), is a loosely defined subgenre of country music and/or country rock that includes acts that differ significantly in style f ...
, describing punk rock as "too hard to sing" in the title track of Whiskeytown's debut album ''
Faithless Street ''Faithless Street'' is the debut studio album by alternative country band Whiskeytown, released in 1995 on Mood Food Records. The album was re-issued by Outpost Recordings in 1998 with several bonus tracks added, and the track "Oklahoma" omitt ...
''. Whiskeytown was heavily influenced by a number of country-rock pioneers, most notably
Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973) who was known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist who recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band, ...
. The band quickly gained critical acclaim with the release of their second full-length album, '' Strangers Almanac'', their first
major label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...
release. A third album, ''
Pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
,'' was completed in 1999, but record label problems delayed its release. It was eventually released by Lost Highway in 2001, at which time the band was effectively done.


Solo career (2000–2004)

Adams made his solo debut in 2000, with ''
Heartbreaker Heartbreaker(s) or The Heart Breaker(s) may refer to: Film and television *''The Heart Breakers'', a 1916 film starring Andrew Arbuckle *''The Heart Breaker'', a 1925 film directed by Benjamin Stoloff * ''Heartbreaker'' (1983 film), an American f ...
'' (produced by
Ethan Johns Ethan Thomas Robert Johns (born 1969 in Merton, London, England) is an English record producer, engineer, mixer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Johns has worked with artists including Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Paul McCartney, Ray LaMo ...
).
Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...
sang backup on "Oh My Sweet Carolina." Other backing vocals and instruments were provided by
Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, countr ...
,
David Rawlings David Todd Rawlings (born December 31, 1969) is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Son ...
,
Pat Sansone Patrick Anthony "Pat" Sansone (born June 21, 1969) is an American multi-instrumentalist in the rock bands Wilco and The Autumn Defense. Early bands Sansone was born in Meridian, Mississippi. Upon entering college at The University of Souther ...
, and Kim Richey as Adams embraced a style more reminiscent of folk music. It was met with considerable critical success, but sales were slow. Adams released ''
Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
'', the follow-up to ''Heartbreaker'', in 2001. It was well received. Adams, however, initially refused to promote the record through radio station meet-and-greets and other music-industry conventions, instead opting for more recording and some live dates. A video was eventually made for the album's first single, "
New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
". The music video featured Adams performing in front of the city's skyline four days before the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
. The video was played often on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
and VH1 after the attacks and became Adams's breakthrough to mainstream music consumers. Following the success of ''Gold'', in 2002 Adams was blocked by his label from releasing his choice for a follow-up album. This would be the second time, the first being with ''Gold;'' Adams had recorded "the Suicide Handbook" which was rejected on the grounds that it was "too sad". The label opted this time around to cherry pick (without Adams' involvement) from four of Adams' recorded albums it had already dismissed as unreleasable (48 Hours, The Suicide Handbook, The Pinkhearts and The Swedish Sessions) to create ''
Demolition Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
,'' released in September 2002. Although the album garnered him more critical attention, it failed to sell as well as ''Gold''. The same year, Adams produced
Jesse Malin Jesse Malin (born January 26, 1967) is an American rock musician, guitarist, and songwriter. Starting his performing career in the New York hardcore band Heart Attack, and rising to prominence as vocalist of D Generation, a solo recording artis ...
's first album, ''
The Fine Art of Self Destruction ''The Fine Art of Self Destruction'' is Jesse Malin's debut solo album. Released on December 24, 2002 in the UK and January 28, 2003 in the United States. It was produced by Ryan Adams (his album-production debut). The front cover photograph was ...
'', and later worked with Malin to form the punk-rock group
The Finger In Western culture, "the finger", or the middle finger (as in giving someone the (middle) finger, the bird or flipping someone off) is an obscene hand gesture. The gesture communicates moderate to extreme contempt, and is roughly equivalent i ...
(under the pseudonyms, "Warren Peace" and "Irving Plaza" respectively), who released two E.P.s which were collected together to form ''
We Are Fuck You ''We Are Fuck You'' is the debut studio album by The Finger, a punk band created by Ryan Adams and Jesse Malin under the Pseudonyms "Warren Peace" and "Irving Plaza" respectively. The album was released on One Little Indian Records One Li ...
'', released on
One Little Indian Records One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In th ...
in 2003. He also starred in a Gap advertisement with Willie Nelson, performing a cover of Hank Williams's " Move It on Over". In May 2002, Adams joined Elton John on ''
CMT Crossroads ''CMT Crossroads'' is an American television program broadcast on CMT that pairs country music artists with musicians from other music genres such as alternative rock, pop, R&B, Rock, soul and more, frequently trading off performing one anot ...
'', which brings together country artists with musicians from other genres. During the show, John referred to Adams as "fabulous one" and spoke of how ''Heartbreaker'' inspired him to record ''
Songs from the West Coast ''Songs from the West Coast'' is the twenty-sixth studio album by English musician Elton John, released worldwide on 1 October 2001. Background For this album, John once again collaborated with long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin, marking the f ...
'', which at the time was his most successful album in several years. Also in 2002, Adams reportedly recorded a cover of
The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...
' debut album ''
Is This It ''Is This It'' is the debut studio album by American rock band the Strokes. It was first released on July 30, 2001, in Australia, with RCA Records handling the release internationally and Rough Trade Records handling the United Kingdom release. I ...
'', though it has never been publicly released. In 2002 and 2003, Adams worked on recording '' Love Is Hell'', intending to release it in 2003.
Lost Highway Records Universal Music Group Nashville is Universal Music Group's country music subsidiary. Some of the labels in this group include MCA Nashville Records, Mercury Nashville Records, Lost Highway Records, Capitol Records Nashville and EMI Records Nashv ...
deemed that it was not commercially viable and was reluctant to release it, leading Adams to go back to the studio. Two weeks later he returned to Lost Highway with ''
Rock n Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
'', which featured guest musicians including
Melissa Auf der Maur Melissa Gaboriau Auf der Maur (; born March 17, 1972) is a Canadian musician. Auf der Maur began performing in 1993 after forming the indie rock band Tinker while she was a student at Concordia University. She was recruited as the bassist ...
,
Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
's
Billie Joe Armstrong Billie Joe Armstrong (born February 17, 1972) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt in 1987. He is also a guitarist and vocalist for t ...
, and Adams's girlfriend at the time,
Parker Posey Parker Christian Posey (born November 8, 1968) is an American actress and musician. Posey is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award nomination, a Satellite Award nomination and two Independent Spirit Award nominations. Posey made her film debu ...
. Adams' songwriting received additional exposure when
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
included his song "In My Time of Need", from his debut release, on her 2003 album ''
Dark Chords on a Big Guitar ''Dark Chords on a Big Guitar'' is the twenty-fourth studio album (and twenty-sixth overall) by Joan Baez, released in September 2003. The album is more rock-oriented than her prior releases, and it is mostly composed of work by Generation X song ...
.'' Also released in 2003, Adams formed a punk band called The Finger with
Jesse Malin Jesse Malin (born January 26, 1967) is an American rock musician, guitarist, and songwriter. Starting his performing career in the New York hardcore band Heart Attack, and rising to prominence as vocalist of D Generation, a solo recording artis ...
, Colin Burns, and Johnny T. Yerington. /sup> The name derived from notorious early/mid-1990s
Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...
rock band Finger, of which Adams was a big fan. This light-hearted project allowed both artists to return to their punk backgrounds (Adams began his music career as singer for The Patty Duke Syndrome and Malin began his career in the hardcore punk band
Heart Attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
and more famously as the lead singer of
D Generation D Generation (also known as DGen) are an American glam punk band formed in 1991 in New York City. They released three albums and several EPs, to much critical acclaim, before breaking up in 1999. In 2011 the band reunited for a series of show ...
). They began by releasing two EPs: ''We Are Fuck You'' and ''Punk's Dead Let's Fuck'' which were later collected to form the album ''
We Are Fuck You ''We Are Fuck You'' is the debut studio album by The Finger, a punk band created by Ryan Adams and Jesse Malin under the Pseudonyms "Warren Peace" and "Irving Plaza" respectively. The album was released on One Little Indian Records One Li ...
'' that was released in 2003. Adams and Lost Highway Records eventually agreed that the label would release ''
Rock N Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
'' as well as ''Love Is Hell'', on the condition that ''Love Is Hell'' be split into two EP installments. ''Rock N Roll'' and ''Love Is Hell, Pt. 1'' were released in November 2003, followed by ''Love Is Hell, Pt. 2'' in December. Both albums were well received by critics, and in May 2004 ''Love Is Hell'' was re-released as a full-length album. ''Love Is Hell'' included a cover of Oasis' " Wonderwall", which Adams had previously performed live, and about which
Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the chief songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed ...
once said, "I never got my head round this song until I went to eeRyan Adams play and he did an amazing cover of it." The song earned Adams a
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
nomination for "
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing qua ...
". While on tour to support ''Love Is Hell'' in January 2004, Adams fractured his wrist during a performance at the
Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...
in Liverpool. Adams fell off the end of the stage into the lowered orchestra pit six feet below, while performing "The Shadowlands". Dates from Adams's European and American tours had to be canceled as a result of his injury. Adams was featured on the album ''True Love'' by
Toots and the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...
, which won the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
,
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
,
Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...
,
Trey Anastasio Ernest Joseph "Trey" Anastasio III (born September 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983. He is credited by name as composer of 152 Phish o ...
,
Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
/
No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, they ...
,
Ben Harper Benjamin Chase Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live perfo ...
,
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
,
Manu Chao Manu Chao (; born José-Manuel Thomas Arthur Chao on 21 June 1961) is a French-Spanish singer. He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Arabic, Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, Greek, and occasionally in other languages. Chao began his mus ...
,
The Roots The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
,
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...
,
Toots Hibbert Frederick Nathaniel Hibbert, (8 December 1942 – 11 September 2020), better known as Toots Hibbert, was a Jamaican singer and songwriter who was the lead vocalist for the reggae and ska band Toots and the Maytals. A reggae pioneer, he perform ...
,
Paul Douglas Paul Howard Douglas (March 26, 1892 – September 24, 1976) was an American politician and Georgist economist. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Illinois for eighteen years, from 1949 to 1967. During his Senat ...
, Jackie Jackson,
Ken Boothe Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...
, and
The Skatalites The Skatalites are a ska band from Jamaica. They played initially between 1963 and 1965, and recorded many of their best known songs in the period, including " Guns of Navarone." They also played on records by Prince Buster and backed many othe ...
.


The Cardinals (2005–2009)

The year 2005 saw Adams join with backing band
The Cardinals The Cardinals were an American R&B group of the 1950s. Sharing a legacy with the Orioles, The Cardinals are remembered as one of the best R&B ballad acts to come out of Baltimore. Origins The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year before ...
to produce two albums, ''
Cold Roses ''Cold Roses'' is the sixth studio album by alt-country singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released on May 3, 2005 on Lost Highway. The album is his first with backing band The Cardinals, and the first of three albums released in 2005. ''Cold Roses' ...
'' and '' Jacksonville City Nights''. ''Cold Roses'', a double album, included backing vocals from
Rachael Yamagata Rachael Yamagata (born September 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her musical career with the band Bumpus before becoming a solo artist and releasing five EPs and four studio albums. Her ...
on three songs; "Let It Ride", "Cold Roses" and "Friends". His second album of the year, ''Jacksonville City Nights'', featured a duet with
Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...
on "Dear John". As well as releasing two albums with The Cardinals, Adams released the solo album '' 29'' late in the year. In addition to releasing three albums, that year Adams joined other musicians in playing a
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
benefit show at
Irving Plaza Irving Plaza (known through sponsorship as Irving Plaza, powered by Klipsch and formerly known as the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza) is a ballroom-style music venue located within the Union Square neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. ...
in New York City. Also, three of Adams's songs were featured in the
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
of '' Elizabethtown'': "Come Pick Me Up", "English Girls Approximately", and a new song called "Words", which was pulled from 2005's ''The Elizabethtown Sessions'' and remains unreleased, but is floating among collectors as ''Darkbreaker''. . "Words" was released later in a second volume of Elizabethtown songs. Adams befriended
Phil Lesh Philip Chapman Lesh (born March 15, 1940) is an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career. After the band's disbanding in 1995, Lesh continued the tradition of ...
of the
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...
, after first meeting him at the
Jammys The Jammy Award (also known as the Jammys) is an awards show for bands typically referred to as jam bands and other artists associated with live, improvisational music, created by Dean Budnick and Peter Shapiro. The Jammys are sponsored by Reli ...
awards in New York in 2005. The two performed
Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...
and Robert Hunter's Grateful Dead classic, "Wharf Rat". Adams performed at subsequent outings of
Phil Lesh and Friends Phil Lesh and Friends is an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, former bassist of the Grateful Dead. Phil & Friends is not a traditional group in that several different lineups of musicians have played under the name, including g ...
, including a two-night stand at
Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure in the Western United States, western United States, near Morrison, Colorado, west of Denver. There is a large, tilted, flyi ...
outside of
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Colorado and on New Year's Eve 2005 at the Bill Graham Event Center in San Francisco. Throughout 2006, Lesh's live performances included compositions by Adams, including several from ''Cold Roses'' ("Cold Roses", "Let It Ride", and "Magnolia Mountain"). In early 2006 Adams performed a solo tour of the United Kingdom, often accompanied by Brad Pemberton (drummer for The Cardinals) and on the final date in London by Carina Round, who performed harmony vocals on 'Come Pick Me Up' from his first solo album- 'Heartbreaker'. Also present was Cardinals guitarist-
Neal Casal Neal Graeme Casal (November 2, 1968 – August 26, 2019) ...
. Adams then toured the United States with The Cardinals, including a performance at
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...
in Chicago. Adams and The Cardinals then returned to the UK in the summer to begin a tour of Europe. Adams produced
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
's album ''
Songbird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...
'', while he and The Cardinals performed as Nelson's backing band. The album was released in October 2006. He also opened for Nelson at the
Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
later that fall, a show that featured
Phil Lesh Philip Chapman Lesh (born March 15, 1940) is an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career. After the band's disbanding in 1995, Lesh continued the tradition of ...
on bass and multiple
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...
songs. Late in 2006, Adams experimented with hip hop music, adding to his web site 18 albums worth of new recordings under various pseudonyms, featuring humorous and nonsensical lyrics, as well as covers of two
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
songs ("
Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
" and "
You're a Big Girl Now "You're a Big Girl Now" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his 15th studio album, ''Blood on the Tracks'', in 1975. It is one of five songs on the album that Dylan initially recorded in New York City in September 1974 and then re-recorded in Minn ...
"). Adams was scheduled to play
Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connectin ...
when the Stonehenge society had to cancel the gigs to an overwhelming response to email or call-in for free tickets. They feared the highway would have to be shut down during the performance due to the demand for tickets. Adams released his ninth album on June 26, 2007, titled ''
Easy Tiger ''Easy Tiger'' is the ninth studio album by Ryan Adams, released on June 26, 2007, on the Lost Highway label. Although the album is attributed solely to Adams, ''Easy Tiger'' features The Cardinals as his backing band, with Adams stating: "The o ...
''. The album includes many tracks which were debuted during 2006's tours, as well as other older tracks which were previously unreleased. On October 23, 2007, Adams released ''
Follow the Lights ''Follow the Lights'' (released in the UK as ''Everybody Knows'') is an EP by Ryan Adams and The Cardinals released on October 23, 2007. The EP contains three new songs and four live studio recordings, including a cover of the Alice in Chains' ...
'', an EP featuring three new songs: "Follow the Lights","Blue Hotel" and "My Love for You Is Real", along with live studio versions of other previously released songs and a cover of Alice in Chains' "Down In A Hole". Adams also appeared as a guest musician on Cowboy Junkies' 2007 album and DVD ''
Trinity Revisited ''Trinity Revisited'' is an album and a film by the Cowboy Junkies, released on October 8, 2007. It is a remake of the Junkies' most famous album, ''The Trinity Session''. The new album was recorded in the fall of 2006 at Toronto's Church of the ...
'', a 20th-anniversary re-recording of their classic album ''
The Trinity Session ''The Trinity Session'' is the second studio album by Canadian alternative country band Cowboy Junkies, released in early 1988 by Latent Recordings in Canada, and re-released worldwide later in the year on RCA Records. " Working on a Building" a ...
''. In 2007 Adams co-wrote a song with Australian singer-songwriter Krista Polvere for her debut record ''Here Be Dragons''; he also played guitar and piano on the album, which was recorded in New York. A new album with The Cardinals, ''
Cardinology ''Cardinology'' is the tenth studio album by Ryan Adams, and fourth album with his backing band Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, The Cardinals, released on October 28, 2008. The album completed Adams' contract with Lost Highway Records, and marks his ...
'' was released on October 28, 2008. Adams has also announced plans to release a book, entitled '' Infinity Blues''. According to Lost Highway chairman, Luke Lewis, there will be an "anthology" release in 2009, featuring several new songs. On January 14, 2009, Ryan Adams announced that he was quitting the Cardinals after their final show on March 20, 2009, at the Fox Theatre in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. Adams cited hearing loss due to
Ménière's disease Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected initial ...
as well as disillusionment with the music industry, the media and audience behavior as reasons for his decision. He also stated that he has been working on two new books, in addition to ''Infinity Blues''. The second book, released in the fall of 2009, is entitled ''Hello Sunshine''. Preorders of ''Hello Sunshine'' were shipped on August 18 by publisher Akashic Books.


Post-Cardinals (2009)

In May 2009, drummer
Brad Pemberton Brad Pemberton (born August 8, 1969) is an American drummer, primarily known for his role in several bands backing Ryan Adams, including The Sweetheart Revolution, The Damn Band, The Pinkhearts and The Cardinals.'' dvertisement/nowiki>.'' ''CMJ N ...
stated that: "everyone was a bit fried, so it was the right time to step back for a minute. I encouraged Ryan to go and get married, and have a life and find some peace; the guy hasn't really slowed down in ten years, and he needed it as much as we did. Ryan and I have shared too much and are too good of friends to not ever do anything again, but I think we all need to do our own thing for a minute." The Cardinals, without Adams, have recorded together alongside
Gin Wigmore Virginia Claire Wigmore (born 6 June 1986) is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Featured on the Smashproof single "Brother" in 2009, Wigmore went on to release four albums '' Holy Smoke'' (2009), ''Gravel & Wine'' (2011), '' Blood to Bone'' ...
for her debut album. Adams has dismissed any possibility of a reunion in the near future, saying it wouldn't be right after the death of Cardinals bassist Chris 'Spacewolf' Feinstein. In August 2009, Adams began posting on the fan-site, Ryan Adams Archive, discussing the possibility of a
Whiskeytown Whiskeytown was an American alternative country band formed in 1994 from Raleigh, North Carolina. Fronted by Ryan Adams, the group included members Caitlin Cary, Phil Wandscher, Eric "Skillet" Gilmore, and Mike Daly. They disbanded in 2000 with ...
reunion, new songs and releasing his many 'unreleased' albums. In August, Adams also began blogging for The Awl. In September 2009, Adams debuted a new song online, entitled "Happy Birthday", and began releasing singles, featuring previously unreleased material, from his new record label,
PAX AM Pax Americana Recording Company, also known as PAX-AM, is a record label founded by Ryan Adams. Established in 2004, the label released certain of Adams’ then-unpublished demo recordings. Following Adams' fulfillment of a recording contract ...
. Casal released a
photo-book A photo book or photobook is a book in which photographs make a significant contribution to the overall content. A photo book is related to and also often used as a coffee table book. Early Early photo books are characterized by their use of ...
, '' Ryan Adams & the Cardinals: A View of Other Windows'', in February 2010, documenting his time within the band.


PAX AM and return to music (2010–2013)

In March 2010, Adams announced a new
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
-influenced album, entitled '' Orion'', to be released on his
PAX AM Pax Americana Recording Company, also known as PAX-AM, is a record label founded by Ryan Adams. Established in 2004, the label released certain of Adams’ then-unpublished demo recordings. Following Adams' fulfillment of a recording contract ...
label. ''Orion'' was released on vinyl only on May 18, 2010, and was sold through the PAX AM online store. According to Adams's Facebook page, he had completed two unreleased albums, ''Blackhole'' and '' Cardinals III/IV'', and was currently recording new albums in both New York City and Los Angeles. On October 29, 2010, Adams played his first live show since stepping down from the Cardinals in March 2009, at a benefit hosted by
Judd Apatow Judd Apatow (; born December 6, 1967) is an American comedian, director, producer, and screenwriter, best known for his work in comedy and drama films. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he produced and directed the films '' ...
. He was backed by Marshall Vore,
Sebastian Steinberg Sebastian Steinberg (born February 20, 1959) is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing. Biography Steinberg played with Soul Coughing throughout the band's entire history, from 1992 to 2000. In 2001, Steinberg ...
and former Cardinal Jamie Candiloro, who were billed as "The Ryan Adams Band". They debuted three new songs and were joined onstage by Mandy Moore for "Oh My Sweet Carolina." In November 2010, Adams announced the release of '' Cardinals III/IV'', his twelfth studio album, which was recorded in 2006. This album is his fifth with
The Cardinals The Cardinals were an American R&B group of the 1950s. Sharing a legacy with the Orioles, The Cardinals are remembered as one of the best R&B ballad acts to come out of Baltimore. Origins The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year before ...
and was released on December 14, 2010, through
PAX AM Pax Americana Recording Company, also known as PAX-AM, is a record label founded by Ryan Adams. Established in 2004, the label released certain of Adams’ then-unpublished demo recordings. Following Adams' fulfillment of a recording contract ...
. In 2011, Adams announced a European tour, and noted that he was working on a new studio album with producer
Glyn Johns Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English musician, recording engineer and record producer. Biography Early history Johns was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. He had three siblings, two older sisters and a younger brother, Andy ...
. On April 21, 2011, Adams was the surprise opener for an
Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...
show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. He performed several new songs, as well as "Oh My Sweet Carolina" with Emmy, a track they recorded for 2000's ''
Heartbreaker Heartbreaker(s) or The Heart Breaker(s) may refer to: Film and television *''The Heart Breakers'', a 1916 film starring Andrew Arbuckle *''The Heart Breaker'', a 1925 film directed by Benjamin Stoloff * ''Heartbreaker'' (1983 film), an American f ...
''. On June 16, 2011, through his Twitter account, Ryan suggested that his album ''Blackhole'' could be released around Christmas. In the September 2011 issue of ''
Q Magazine ''Q'' was a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by broadcast journalists Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series ''The Old Grey Whistle Test''. '' ...
'', Ryan revealed details of his first solo release since leaving
The Cardinals The Cardinals were an American R&B group of the 1950s. Sharing a legacy with the Orioles, The Cardinals are remembered as one of the best R&B ballad acts to come out of Baltimore. Origins The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year before ...
, entitled ''
Ashes & Fire ''Ashes & Fire'' is the 13th studio album by Ryan Adams, released on October 11, 2011, on PAX AM and Capitol. Recorded with producer Glyn Johns, ''Ashes & Fire'' marks Adams' return to recording following the disbandment of his band the Cardin ...
''. He also discussed the possibility of releasing a third book, ''Phoenix'', which he says concerns "a loveable rat." In early 2012, Ryan was nominated for a
Brit Award The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
for Best International Male. On June 18, 2012, Adams released a live box set chronicling his return to live performances, entitled ''
Live After Deaf ''Live After Deaf'' is a live box set by American alt-country singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released on June 18, 2012 on PAX AM. Comprising fifteen vinyl discs, the release chronicles Adams' return to live performances following a two-year hiatus ...
''. His album ''Ashes & Fire'' was nominated for the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards. On April 21, 2013, Adams released an EP, ''7 Minutes in Heaven'', with his newly formed punk rock band
Pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,
, featuring
Make Out Making out is a term of American origin dating back to at least 1949, and is used to refer to kissing, including extended French kissing or heavy kissing of the neck (called ''necking''), or to acts of non-penetrative sex such as heavy petti ...
vocalist Leah Hennessey and frequent collaborator Johnny T. Yerington. In July 2013, Adams collaborated as a producer with rock band
Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
at his PAX AM Studio, which resulted in Fall Out Boy's ''
PAX AM Days ''PAX AM Days'' (stylized as ''PAX•AM Days'') is an EP by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released on October 15, 2013, by Island Records and PAX AM. It consists of hardcore punk and punk rock influenced tracks recorded during a two-day "marat ...
'' EP. On March 19, 2013, Ryan played a live show with a full band for the first time since the Cardinals disbanded. The show was for Noel Gallagher's Teenage Cancer Trust benefit. The venue's website stated that Ryan was playing new songs from a forthcoming album.


Self-titled studio album, PAX AM Single Series, ''1989'' and ''Prisoner'' (2014–2018)

On July 1, 2014, stories emerged that a self-titled album, ''
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...
'', would be released on September 9, 2014. Since this announcement, Adams has released a 7-inch vinyl EP, entitled ''
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
'' and announced tour dates through mid October 2014. He debuted several new songs from the self-titled album in a series of festival concerts in late July 2014. On September 9, 2014, the self-titled album ''
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...
'' was released on PAX-AM records. In addition to the self-titled album, Adams announced a project he calls the "PAX AM Single Series", with a new seven-inch release each month. Adams stated, "I'm going to release a single every month until I can't do it any more." The first of these releases, the ''
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
'' EP, was released in August 2014 and is described by Adams as, "pay nghomage to the halcyon days of the earliest releases from ecord labels
Dischord Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in punk rock. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release ''Minor Disturbance'' by their band The Teen Idles ...
, SST, Touch & Go and their ilk." In 2014 and 2015, Adams continued to release digital singles, with each single being accompanied by at least 2 B-sides. Singles in 2014 included "Jacksonville," "Vampires," and "Do You Laugh When You Lie?", while singles in 2015 included "No Shadow" (featuring actor
Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...
, who had previously appeared on his self-titled album), "Blue Light," "I Do Not Feel Like Being Good," "Willow Lane," and "Burn in the Night." Often selling out within minutes of being released through PAX AM's website, the singles remain available for digital download. On December 5, 2014, "Gimme Something Good", a song from the ''Ryan Adams'' album, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. On August 5, 2015, Adams announced via
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
that he was going to cover and release his version of
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
's 2014 album '' ''1989''''. He released multiple clips via Twitter and Instagram showcasing his takes on Swift's songs. Adams' ''1989'' was released on September 21, 2015. It debuted at No. 7 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, one position ahead of Swift's ''1989'', which was in its 48th week on the chart. Adams said in October 2016 that he would never cover another full album again following the recording of ''1989''. On December 6, 2016, Ryan Adams announced a new album, ''
Prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
''. It was released on PAX AM/
Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...
on February 17, 2017. The album's first single "Do You Still Love Me?" was released on December 7, 2016 and the second single, "To Be Without You" was released on December 23, 2016. In 2018, Adams released a stand-alone single, "Baby I Love You", and contributed one song, "20th Call of the Day", to the ''
Juliet, Naked ''Juliet, Naked'' is a novel by the British author Nick Hornby published in 2009. It tells the story of Annie, the long-suffering girlfriend of obsessed music fan Duncan, and the object of his obsession, singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe. The pl ...
'' soundtrack.


''Wednesdays'', ''Big Colors'', ''Chris'', and further albums (2019–present)

In January 2019, Adams announced his plans to release three albums that calendar year. The first, '' Big Colors'', was due to be released April 19 and feature 15 tracks. The second, '' Wednesdays'', was to feature 17 tracks and did not yet have a confirmed release date. The release of all three albums was put on hold after the ''New York Times'' broke allegations of sexual misconduct. After a five-month silence, Adams returned in July 2019, posting a soundboard recording of a song titled "I'm Sorry and I Love You". On December 11, 2020, Adams eventually surprise-released ''Wednesdays'', which features "I'm Sorry and I Love You" as well as several tracks originally announced for inclusion on ''Big Colors''. A music video for "I'm Sorry and I Love You" was uploaded to YouTube on December 15, 2020. Its description mentions that ''Wednesdays'' is the first in a trilogy of albums, including ''Big Colors'' and ''Chris''. On April 23, 2021, Adams surprise-released "Do Not Disturb" as the lead single from the revised edition of ''Big Colors''. The album was released on June 11, 2021, with a different track listing from the one announced in 2019. On March 2, 2022, Adams announced his first headlining show since the ''New York Times'' article. It sold out within hours and took place at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
on May 14. Additional concerts were announced later in March, with another batch announced in June. On March 25, Adams released ''Chris'' as the final installment of the trilogy. It was followed by four other albums: ''Romeo & Juliet'' on April 25, ''FM'' on July 22, ''Devolver'' on September 23, and ''Nebraska'' on December 7, a cover of the Bruce Springsteen album of the same name. ''Devolver'' was released as a free download along with a statement from Adams thanking his fans for their support. He announced further shows in Fall and Winter of 2022 and then his long awaited return to the U.K. for April 2023.


Personal life


Relationships and health

Adams was engaged to singer-songwriter
Leona Naess Leona Kristina Naess (or Næss) (born 31 July 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. She released her debut album, '' Comatised'', in March 2000, which produced the single "Charm Attack" (Adult Top 40 #29). Biography Early life Naess was ...
, but the engagement ended in 2003. In 2008, Adams began dating singer-songwriter and actress
Mandy Moore Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her debut studio album, '' So Real'' (1999), recei ...
. They became engaged in February 2009 and they were married on March 10, 2009, in Savannah, Georgia. On January 23, 2015, Adams and Moore announced in a joint statement that they were separating. The divorce was finalized in June 2016. In 2007, Adams revealed that he had endured "an extended period of substance abuse" that ended in 2006. He indicated that he routinely snorted heroin mixed with cocaine, and abused alcohol and pills. He beat his addiction with the assistance of his girlfriend at the time, Jessica Joffe, using
Valium Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is commonly used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, insomnia, a ...
therapy and occasionally attending
12-step Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), aided its members ...
meetings. In the following years, he made several statements indicating he was "newly sober" and he told
TMZ TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...
in June 2022 that he had reached nine months of sobriety. He celebrated one year of sobriety with the free release of his album ''Devolver'' on September 23, 2022. Adams has
Ménière's disease Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear that is characterized by potentially severe and incapacitating episodes of vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness in the ear. Typically, only one ear is affected initial ...
and
tinnitus Tinnitus is the perception of sound when no corresponding external sound is present. Nearly everyone experiences a faint "normal tinnitus" in a completely quiet room; but it is of concern only if it is bothersome, interferes with normal hearin ...
. A flyer advising of Adams' condition is affixed to the first several rows of seats at his concerts, with the admonition for audience members to refrain from taking flash photos or using
auto focus ''Auto Focus'' is a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by Paul Schrader and starring Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe. The screenplay by Michael Gerbosi is based on Robert Graysmith's book ''The Murder of Bob Crane'' (1993). ''Auto Focus ...
assist beams when photographing at his shows. Adams has also openly spoken about experiencing depression and
anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
.


Disputes and controversies

At a concert in October 2002, at Nashville's
Ryman Auditorium Ryman Auditorium (also known as Grand Ole Opry House and Union Gospel Tabernacle) is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the ''Grand Ole Opry'' fr ...
, someone in the audience yelled out a request for "
Summer of '69 "Summer of '69" is a song recorded by the Canadian musician Bryan Adams from his fourth album, '' Reckless''. The song is about a dilemma between settling down or trying to become a rock star. The song was written by Adams and his longtime song ...
", a song by the similarly named
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
. Adams reacted with a stream of expletives, and ordered the house lights turned on, ''
The Tennessean ''The Tennessean'' (known until 1972 as ''The Nashville Tennessean'') is a daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky. It is owned by Gannett, ...
'' newspaper reported. He eventually found the fan who made the joke-request, paid him $30 cash as a refund for the show, ordered him to leave, and said he would not play another note until he had left. In a 2014 interview, Ryan Adams denied that the audience-member was asked to leave "for screaming a Bryan Adams song", but rather because the man was drunk: "The reason why the guy was asked to leave by me was because I was doing an a-capella three-piece with
Gillian Welch Gillian Howard Welch (; born October 2, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, countr ...
,
David Rawlings David Todd Rawlings (born December 31, 1969) is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Son ...
, and myself of ' Bartering Lines', and in between the quiet parts the guy was screaming." In April 2015, Ryan, who had since become friends with Bryan, played "Summer of '69" at the end of another performance at the Ryman, an act described by ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' as "an olive branch to the city that was once his home". Adams left an angry message on critic
Jim DeRogatis James Peter DeRogatis (born September 2, 1964) is an American music critic and co-host of ''Sound Opinions''. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as ''Rolling Stone'', '' Spin'', ''Guitar World'' and ''Modern Drummer'', and for 15 ...
's answering-machine, in response to a scathing review DeRogatis gave of an Adams show in 2003. During filming of the BBC's long-running show ''Songwriter's Circle'', where Adams was joined by American folk-singer
Janis Ian Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit " Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" and the 1975 Top T ...
and New Zealand's
Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...
, it was reported that he refused to participate in a number of the songs performed on the night and was generally dismissive of collaborating with the others. The fallout from the show resulted in an online to-and-fro argument between Adams, Ian, and members of the public, who cited Adams's rude behavior and eccentric demeanor toward his colleagues. In August 2017, Adams singled out
Father John Misty Joshua Michael Tillman (born May 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Father John Misty, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has also performed and released studio albums under the name J. Tillman. Maintainin ...
for criticism, while a month earlier he made derogatory remarks about
The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...
through social media.


Allegations of sexual misconduct

On February 13, 2019, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reported that seven women (including
Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and ''Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclaim ...
and ex-wife Mandy Moore) said Adams offered to assist them with their music-careers, then pursued the women romantically. They also claimed that Adams reportedly retaliated when they spurned his advances, hindering their careers and harassing them in text-messages and on social media. One accuser said that Adams sent her sexually-explicit text-messages when she was underage. The accusations surfaced in the context of the
Me too movement #MeToo is a social movement against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media in ...
against
sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
. Adams has denied the accusations. The next day, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reported that the
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
was investigating if Adams had committed a crime by engaging in sexually explicit communications with an underage fan. In the autumn of 2019, the FBI informed Adams's lawyer that the investigation had been dropped and no proof of illegal behavior with underage girls had been found. The underage fan later provided a written statement that included, "I was not truthful about my age in my texts and communications with Ryan and I repeatedly told him I was 18." On March 1, 2019, SJM Concerts released a statement that Adams's upcoming tour of Britain and Ireland, which had been scheduled to start in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
on March 30, 2019, had been cancelled and that full refunds would be issued to ticket holders. In July 2020, Adams issued a statement in the ''
Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
'' apologizing for his actions.


Recognition

Adams is recognized for his highly prolific songwriting and a singing style that resembles that of a country rocker, even though he played punk rock in the early part of his career. Adams has frequently experimented with different genres, although for the major part of his career his musical style has been
alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
. He is also one of the few artists to emerge from the alt-country scene into mainstream commercial success. His musical style and dynamism has been praised by various artists like
Frank Turner Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981), is an English Punk rock, punk and Folk music, folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primar ...
,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
,
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
,
Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...
,
Wesley Schultz Wesley Keith Schultz (born December 30, 1982) is the guitarist and lead vocalist for the American folk rock band The Lumineers. Life and career Schultz grew up in Ramsey, New Jersey,Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared Followill, and their cousin Matthew Followill. The band's early music was a blend of Southern rock and ga ...
and
Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the chief songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed ...
. American author
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
is also a fan of Adams', and stated, "I won't say Adams is the best North American singer songwriter since
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...
... but I won't say he isn't either".


Discography


Studio albums

*''
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'' (2000) *''
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'' (2001) *''
Demolition Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...
'' (2002) *''
Rock n Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
'' (2003) *'' Love Is Hell'' (2004) *''
Cold Roses ''Cold Roses'' is the sixth studio album by alt-country singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released on May 3, 2005 on Lost Highway. The album is his first with backing band The Cardinals, and the first of three albums released in 2005. ''Cold Roses' ...
'' (2005) *'' Jacksonville City Nights'' (2005) *'' 29'' (2005) *''
Easy Tiger ''Easy Tiger'' is the ninth studio album by Ryan Adams, released on June 26, 2007, on the Lost Highway label. Although the album is attributed solely to Adams, ''Easy Tiger'' features The Cardinals as his backing band, with Adams stating: "The o ...
'' (2007) *''
Cardinology ''Cardinology'' is the tenth studio album by Ryan Adams, and fourth album with his backing band Ryan Adams and The Cardinals, The Cardinals, released on October 28, 2008. The album completed Adams' contract with Lost Highway Records, and marks his ...
'' (2008) *'' Orion'' (2010) *'' III/IV'' (2010) *''
Ashes & Fire ''Ashes & Fire'' is the 13th studio album by Ryan Adams, released on October 11, 2011, on PAX AM and Capitol. Recorded with producer Glyn Johns, ''Ashes & Fire'' marks Adams' return to recording following the disbandment of his band the Cardin ...
'' (2011) *''
Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, artist, and poet. He has released 23 albums, as well as three studio albums as a former member of alt-country band Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left ...
'' (2014) *''
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'' (2015) *''
Prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...
'' (2017) *'' Wednesdays'' (2020) *'' Big Colors'' (2021) *''Chris'' (2022) *''Romeo & Juliet'' (2022) *''FM'' (2022) *''Devolver'' (2022) *''Nebraska'' (2022) *''Blood On The Tracks'' (2022)


Bibliography

*'' Infinity Blues'' (2009) *'' Hello Sunshine'' (2009)


Awards and nominations

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References


External links


Official websitePAX AM's site
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Ryan 1974 births Living people 21st-century American singers American alternative country singers American country singer-songwriters American folk rock musicians American male singer-songwriters American rock singers American rock songwriters Bloodshot Records artists Country musicians from North Carolina Lost Highway Records artists People from Jacksonville, North Carolina People with Ménière's Disease People with mood disorders Singer-songwriters from North Carolina The Cardinals (rock band) members Whiskeytown members