_Lee Butterworth_

Ryan Adams has only released one studio album of original music (last year’s Prisoner) since 2014, but the prolific singer-songwriter apparently has much more on deck, and Adams has been hinting at possible upcoming releases for several albums via his social media pages.

Adams tweeted out that he has “17 new songs” along with “4 records on a shelf,” asking if anyone wants to hear “Prisoner 2 & 3” or the long-lost album Black Hole, plus live albums from his show with The Infamous Stringdusters at The Capitol Theater and the Exile On Main Street Rolling Stones tribute he fronted in New Orleans last month.

“I’m just asking to see if maybe I’m crazy & no one does [want to hear them],” Adams concluded, before later tweeting that he’s calling the collection “Summer of 69 unreleased songs,” a joking nod to Adams’ longtime association with Bryan Adams (he even tweeted that a Adams/Adams collaboration could happen). Last night, Adams continued to tweet about the unreleased albums, saying that one is “country-tinged” and was recorded with Glyn Johns at the beginning of Adams’ separation from then-wife Mandy Moore, calling it “as Heartbreaker as any album since it.”

In a longer Instagram post, which can be seen below, Adams shares the cover art for Black Hole and further explains his want to release this music, noting the current disturbing social and political climate.

“I have the best fans,” Adams writes. “I want them to be able to hear my songs while I’m here. Released my way. To play them for you live.There’s no map. Bob Dylan and @gratefuldead taught me that. I’m trying to come to terms with that. There’s something blocking my way. I just want to be who I am. Every artist is different. I make a lot of music. I am wildly in love with writing songs. Not every one should come out. But, there’s too much held back.”

There's a darkness in the world right now – and I say this knowing what horrible things are happening and how small and insignificant this is to familes being separated, kids being put in prison camps, the EPA allowing companies to dump raw toxins in our water, and unhinged madman creating chaos daily in our country. It's all horrifying. This is just about music. A small but important thing that helps heal and keeps some hope alive for us all. I have the best fans. I want them to be able to hear my songs while I'm here. Released my way. To play them for you live. There's no map. Bob Dylan and @gratefuldead taught me that. I'm trying to come to terms with that. There's something blocking my way. I just want to be who I am. Every artist is different. I make a lot of music. I am wildly in love with writing songs. Not every one should come out. But, there's too much held back. I am not and never will be some huge artist who has to create their career so they can play the next stadium. And if I were I would ONLY get there being who I really am. A song-crazy goofball. It's time to be who I am. Songs are gifts. Music heals. Let it live. Cold Roses was written & recorded in 2 weeks. FYI… Every minute of it in a studio right before it was tracked. I love you, cats. Here's what the cover of Black Hole is. I get to listen to it. I hope you can soon too. And so much else. XO

A post shared by Ryan Adams (@misterryanadams) on