Ryan Adams & Songwriting

I got on the Ryan Adams bandwagon kind of late. We did “Desire” a few times at UBC, and that was really my first exposure to him. I remember John Mark once saying after a Wednesday night “it’s pretty crazy how much truth there is in that song”. Lacey had already loved him and we went to see him in Houston in the fall of 2007, which was an incredible performance. I’m pretty sure he was impaired somehow, yet did not miss a note the entire night. Then what really hooked me was when Austin Walker made a mix for me to sleep to the week before I got married with “Shadowlands” and “I See Monsters”. I’ve loved him ever since.

I recently read an article referencing some of Ryan’s thoughts on songwriting: “I’m a songwriter. If I can’t get up and write 4-5 hours a day, then I should just quit. Most musicians are entitled, lazy !@#$.”

I generally wouldn’t think that something like that would challenge me, but when I feel like I have been given the ability to write, it kills me when days and even weeks sometimes pass without me picking up a guitar. (Of course, this post has been interrupted a few times by some guitar playing.) 

I love what Louie Giglio said at CFCMC: “We sing because all of creation is singing.” I need to put that to action and I need to be more diligent in devoting time to this craft. Thanks to Ryan Adams for putting me in my place.

Are you spending time honing the craft you want to be improving?

(Photo from http://paxamrecords.com/photos.)

Here is one of my favorites. If you like Ryan Adams, it’s probably yours too.

[youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzZhtrsbJzs&w=640&h=480]