Earlier this year in February, Ryan Adams released his 16th solo studio album Prisoner -- the singer/songwriter's first album of original material since his 2014 self-titled album -- via the partnership between his own PAX-AM label and Blue Note Records. Ryan is heading out on tour in support of the new record, and performed an exclusive concert for an intimate group of fans at the iHeartRadio Theater in New York City.
Prisoner features 12 new songs, including his current single "To Be Without You," and songs like "Do You Still Love Me?" and "Doomsday." Back in February, he told iHeartRadio of his new album, "There were so many songs that went into making Prisoner, which was a great thing to do, a great experiment to have this ability and this time to make so many different sounds." He continues, "I wanted to live in that space. These big open chords, these big amazing notes. I knew that space was neither sad, nor happy, but in that big space I could create a sonic geography where I didn't have to lead anybody directly into their feelings. I could create a space for them to go be free, and when they listened and to get lost in the story, and to find out what parts mattered to them. If it worked for me, that's how I knew it was working."
During his iHeartRadio LIVE show, Ryan took the stage only accompanied by his acoustic guitar, and performed five songs off of his new album Prisoner, including the title track, "Do You Still Love Me," "To Be Without You," "Haunted House," "Doomsday" (which he broke out his harmonica for), and "We Disappear." But he also performed songs from his previous albums like "Everybody Knows," "Invisible Riverside," and ended the entire set with "My Winding Wheel" from his 2000 album Heartbreaker.
iHeartRadio LIVE with Ryan Adams Set List
"Do You Still Love Me" (Prisoner)
"Prisoner" (Prisoner)
"Haunted House" (Prisoner)
"Gimme Something Good" (Ryan Adams)
'Everybody Knows" (Easy Tiger)
"Invisible Riverside" (Ashes & Fire)
"To Be Without You" (Prisoner)
"Doomsday" (Prisoner) - harmonica
"We Disappear" (Prisoner)
"My Winding Wheel" (Heartbreaker)
Aside from his performances, Ryan also sat down with host Jonathan Clark, and answered questions about recording his latest album Prisoner, trading his skateboard in for a guitar, and more. Check it out below:
On recording at "time-free" Electric Lady Studios:
"I used to live a block from there, and then I lived two blocks from there. So, strangely, it really always feels so good going back to that place. It always feels right, and always feels super creative in that space. And a lot of it is because it's a time-free space. I'm guessing that since it was Jimi Hendrix's studio, he doesn't seem like a real time-oriented sort of fellow to me. Like, I'm guessing he didn't know when to go on stage and stuff, and I hope he didn't know. I mean he doesn't seem like he knows where he's playing in that footage. So the studio itself kind of has that vibe, it's below ground. It's just easy to get into that place and lose time. One of the nights I was recording the record was during the blizzard, but I didn't know that there was a blizzard. Because I was having my own inclement weather, so to speak. And it was the next morning, about 7 or 8 in the morning, because songs start to happen ... a lot of these songs happened because I would write down the name of the song when I woke up, and if I was staying at the apartment or a hotel before that, I might just have the name of the song. So I'd get there, and then the song would just be born there. And then it was myself on guitar and vocals, and my friend Johnny on drums, and so the song had to work already without anything else. So that place sounds so good, but it brings that kind of thing out of a person. I think the way that that studio is, a lot of the music was born out of necessity."
On trading his skateboard for guitar:
"I traded it in. It was supposed to be the skateboard, plus $75 cash. And I felt bad about this for a long time, but then I thought, well, I mean he obviously didn't get paid, but he made the deal with me, who clearly did not have any cash or access to cash. And the skateboard I was using was something that someone else shredded and I got as a leftover. And also, the guy was super into this band called, and they're fun, so it's not a diss, but his favorite band, like he had two separate wall size posters of Pretty Boy Floyd."
On his epic Elton John/Bob Dylan story:
"Somewhere down the line I became friends with Sir Elton John, like most amazing dude ever. I know it sounds like I'm making that up, but he really can send the most sarcastic e-mail of all time, it's unbelievable. It takes him two sentences. But anyway, one time he was like, 'hey come to this dinner,' and I was like 'yeah, OK.' And he was like, 'For real, I'm gonna invite Bob Dylan.' And I was like, 'yeah right.' And I didn't have e-mail then, so I think that happened on the phone. So I went, and I remember thinking this is the dumbest trick ever. And we're just sitting around, talking, they even had a place card and it said 'Bob Dylan.' And I think I said something to him, I was like, 'That's so stupid.' And he was like, 'Oh, you wait.' And like 45/50 minutes passed, the entree was long gone, and the dessert, nobody ate any of the dessert because it was one of those Oscar parties, and I think everyone was afraid that buttons would go flying. I just assumed that's why, I was probably high, and people probably had the dessert. I did not. I'd had the dessert before I went. I was having my imagination for dessert. And he walks in, Bob Dylan walked in, he was dressed like a superhero from a western movie. And then the most amazing thing happened to me, is he walks over and I'm just looking at him, and I'm like, 'Damn, that's Bob Dylan.' And then Elton looks at me, and goes 'Hahahaha.' Because he knew I was tripping out. And Bob Dylan had super long fingernails, which A+, like they were so long. And when he shook my hand, he scratched it, and I was like, 'I'm never gonna put any Neosporin on that. Make a scar.' And then, two sentences in, and he goes, 'What is a 'Winding Wheel?' And I was just like, 'I don't know, it just sounded good.'"
Photos: Roger Kisby