''1984'' is an EP by American singer-songwriter

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 lef ...

, released in August 2014 on

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 Established in 2004, the label released certain of Adams’ then-unpublished demo recordings.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 ...

. Initially the second release in Adams' "PAX AM Single Series", the EP was released digitally on August 28, 2014. Recorded entirely by Adams, ''1984'' is described 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."

Background

The EP's sound was influenced by the various

hardcore Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to: Arts and media Film * ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film * ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott * ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...

artists Ryan Adams grew up listening to. He noted, "The kind of music that I first started playing was that kind of music, but it's not really any different to my regular stuff." Regarding its overall aesthetic, Adams stated: "It’s my

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...

kind of vibe."

Recording

''1984'' was recorded at Adams' studio, with Adams performing each instrument. The EP was engineered by his current bandmate Charlie Stavish.

Release

The EP is the second of Adams' "PAX AM Single Series", with a new seven-inch release planned for each month. (The first was the ''Gimme Something Good'' single, with the B-Side of ''Aching For More.'') Adams stated, "I'm going to release a single every month until I can't do it any more." Regarding ''1984'' specifically, he noted, "People just have to hear it, the American vinyl is now sold out and we're going to make the digital available at some point, probably after my album comes out." The digital version of the album includes an additional track, entitled "Look in the Mirror".

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians

– all instruments *Marshall Vore – "confused screaming"

Production

– producer *Charlie Stavish – engineer, mixing

Artwork

*Johnny T – cover photograph *Ryan Adams – back cover photograph *Alan Crawford – inside sleeve photograph *Andy West – design

References

{{Ryan Adams 2014 EPs Ryan Adams albums Hardcore punk EPs Hardcore punk albums by American artists PAX AM albums