Mandy Moore Blog

Spotlight: Laura Marling's 'New Romantic' Video

In discussing Ryan Adams' collaboration with 21 year old singer/songwriter, Laura Marling, we couldn't help but spotlight one of Marling's best-known songs.

Entitled "New Romantic," it's a song that namedrops 'Ryan Adams' in its lyrics, but also starts with a catchy, upbeat tempo that mellows into a beautiful love song. The slower the song, the more Laura Marling sounds like Joan Baez, and that's always a good thing.

Enjoy!

xo
MM Bloggers

Ryan Adams' 'Ashes & Fire' Draws Inspiration from UK's Laura Marling

Enjoying commerical success not seen since "Easy Tiger," Ryan Adams' top-ten album, "Ashes & Fire" has garnered rave reviews from Rolling Stone, The Guadian, and the Los Angeles Times. Yet for a masterwork that seems to strike at the heart of Ryan Adams' alt-country roots, it seems suprising, shocking even, that had it not been for 21 year old folk-singing phenom, Laura Marling, "Ashes & Fire" may have never been produced.

Born February 1990 in Eversley, Hampshire, Laura Marling came out of the London folk scene alongside Mumford & Sons and Johnny Flynn. A former member of UK musical group Noah and the Whale, Marling released her first solo record in 2008, entitled "Alas I Cannot Swim." A fan of Ryan Adams (who had even dropped his name in her single, "New Romantic"), Ryan returned the favor in 2011 by drawing on Marling for precious inspiration while working on his latest album.

In an interview for Live from Abbey Road, Ryan explains. "I actually threw out the record I was writing, and rewrote my record based on [Marling's] album because I thought to myself, 'Somebody's actually taking this very seriously. I should probably take this seriously!'"

Earning Ryan his best debut on the UK charts ever, "Ashes & Fire" has led to a further collaboration between the two artists. The pair came together in November 2011 to perform one of Ryan's best-known songs, "Oh My Sweet Carolina," for Live from Abbey Road.

Enjoy!

xo
MM Bloggers

Mandy Moore feat. on "Ashes & Fire" by Ryan Adams

"Ashes & Fire" is not only a sensational album, it's also a family affair, with backup vocals for "Come Home" sung by Mandy Moore.

Like much of the heartfelt album, "Come Home" is a geniune reflection on love as only Ryan Adams can tell it. Sacrifice, loyalty, and love, echo throughout the heartfelt lyrics which read in part: "You built this home//This house is strong//You raised it with your love//A shelter from the winds//From the cold and dark."

"Come Home" incidentally, is Ryan's second track to be released this year with backup vocals by Mandy Moore. In June 2011, Ryan released the standalone single, "Empty Room."

xo
MM Bloggers

5 Gift Ideas for Mandy Moore & Ryan Adams Fans!

It's that time of year again for yuletide carols and stocking stuffers, and if you happen to be shopping for that special Mandy Moore or Ryan Adams fan in your life, you're in luck! MandyMooreBlog.com is excited to present our inaugural 5 Gift Ideas for Mandy Moore & Ryan Adams Fans!

5. A well-known advocate in the field of global health and climate change, Mandy Moore's philanthropic journey has taken her from the Darfur region of Southern Sudan to here at home on Capitol Hill. Ryan Adams's vocal support of funding for the arts and AIDS research, meanwhile, has benefited Vh1's Save the Music, and New York's famous Housing Works Bookstore Cafe.  Together Mandy and Ryan are two of Tinseltown's most influential social activists. This year, give the gift of social activism by donating in the name of your very own Mandy Moore or Ryan Adams fan. It will make you and your loved one feel good, and you can bet its at the top of Mandy and Ryan's wishlist!

4. In the beginning of 2010, MandyMooreBlog.com celebrated the release of Neal Casel's photographic tribute to Ryan Adams and the Cardinals entitled "Ryan Adams & the Cardinals: A View of Other Windows." Nearly two years later, it remains one of the defining photographic collections featuring the band known for hits ranging from "Let It Ride," "Cold Roses," and "Dear John." Best of all, it's the perfect gift for Ryan Adams fans and rock enthusiasts alike!

Ryan Adams Releases Winter '11/12 Tour Dates!

Grammy Award-nominated rocker and hubby of Mandy Moore, Ryan Adams has formally announced tour dates for his critically acclaimed 2011 album, Ashes & Fire!

Kicking off in Philadelphia, PA for a date at the Academy of Music on December 2nd, 2011, Adams crisscrosses the Eastern seaboard for performances at New York's Carnegie Hall and Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre before heading West for shows in Cleveland, St. Louis, Denver, and overseas for shows in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, and Melborne, Australia. 

Adams third album in little more than a year, Ashes & Fire is a "return to instinctive Adams songwriting," effuses Ally Carnwath of The Guardian in an recent review. "Gentle dewy-eyed country and soulful pop...there's pleasure in such smooth, elegantly crafted songs." 

Ryan Adams 2011-2012 Tour Dates:

12/02 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music
12/04 – Baltimore, MD @ Lyric Opera House
12/06 – New York, NY @ Carnegie Hall
12/08 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
12/10 – Toronto, ON @ Winter Garden Theatre
12/11 – Chicago, IL @ Cadillac Place
12/13 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
01/24 – Bethesda, MD @ Strathmore
01/25 – Cleveland, OH @ Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square
01/27 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Hill Auditorium (Ann Arbor Folk Festival)
01/30 – Louisville, KY @ The Louisville Palace
01/31 – St. Louis, MO @ Peabody Opera House
02/01 – Kansas City, MO @ Music Hall
02/03 – Denver, CO @ Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre
02/25 – Perth, AU @ Perth Concert Hall
02/28 – Sdyney, AU @ Sydney Opera House
03/01 – Brisbane, AU @ Qpac Concert Hall
03/03 – Melbourne, AU @ Regent Theatre

xo
MM Bloggers