|
|
 |
Ryan Adams
T he press has recently made much of alt country hero Ryan Adams' newfound sobriety. However, upon reading between the lines it would appear to be keeping in contemporary media trends to have a means of selling something - in this case, his fine new album 'Easy Tiger' and his ensuing Australian tour. Upon chatting with Adams from his New York base, what becomes immediately apparent is his passion, honesty and pragmatism regarding his craft.
He immediately engages with me to explain that "yes, it's hype. The subject of sobriety came up originally because somebody asked, so I responded. It's not a touchstone point about how I used to have a few drinks or whatever. It's really how most things are - an embellished design of the press. They would suggest that the world's changed for Ryan Adams. Well, the world hasn't changed and I'm still a hard working son of a bitch. I always was. I wasn't wasted for ten years. It was just mentioned that I'd got clean and sober but I am 32. So it wasn't like I'd crashed through a wall. You're right on with that but if you don't have a comeback story, well ..."
The new album is really a consolidated band effort undertaken with The Cardinals. "When we come together as The Cardinals, it's a different thing. 'Easy Tiger' was a Cardinals thing; however I owed the company a solo album so that's how it was packaged. I think we'll meet that goal shortly but that sense of integrity is there" on the album where the band are co-credited as writers on all but two of the tracks.
Adams explains that he "doesn't really have much of an ego with writing", so he's "very open to changing things that others in the band may suggest. We often work on the music but it's rare that we'll collaborate on the contents of a lyric. That and the form are in place before the guys ever see it. But hey, I like input."
I then questioned him about his production on country legend Willie Nelson's last album, 'Songbird'. "It's always been implied that I'm twisting knobs but my sound is a bit more characterised by rough elements. I suppose with the Willie Nelson record I should be happy my name's on it, but in no way does it reflect what I would like to do as a producer. That record came about in a way that was maybe a bit false as I was originally hired on to produce Cardinals' backing and maybe record some newer compositions and as it turned out, when we got to the process of actually making the record, what time Willie did actually spend in the studio in my opinion was relatively unproductive. I'd hoped that we'd have a serene or electric moment. You know, in order to take a photo of a lightening bolt, you've got to stand outside in the rain with a fucking camera. You gotta press the button, pull the trigger you know, but with Willie we got dark clouds and cover versions. We did it on the floor without headphones and I stayed behind the board and overdubbed later.
"Unfortunately for me, after the production was done - and I wanted to mix it the way it sounded [as an old r'n'b flavoured reggae record] and I know he loves reggae - I was unfortunately fired. This meant that the company mixed it and it came out without the Cardinals' name behind Willie's."
Adams' 'take no prisoners attitude' towards his music has always been refreshing and reminded me of catching his first Australian show in Sydney several years ago where he played for over three and a half hours in an often ragged but never less than committed show. In signing off from an educative and edifying chat, I asked him just what his Adelaide audience could expect from his show. Breaking into laughter, he replied that "everybody asks that very one question; it's so funny! The show has some great moments; we have rehearsed over a hundred songs and I haven't had a better time playing live in my entire life. The Cardinals is a whole different animal from what you experienced in Sydney. In fact I can't wait to challenge you again."
Brett Allen-Bayes
Ryan Adams and The Cardinals play Wed 22 Aug at Her Majesty's Theatre. 'Easy Tiger' out now through Universal.
|
|
The latest issue
available now!
|
