Since R.E.M. came to an end in 2011, their vocalist Michael Stipe has released a few solo songs but not a full studio album. However, as he recently revealed in interviews, he is putting the finishing touches on it.
R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe talks about his upcoming solo debut album
“I’m working on a solo album. But it’s taken longer than I wanted. Covid didn’t help, but I’m finishing it. When the band split, I just needed a break. I took five years but I got pulled back into music. It’s been a struggle. That’s the main thing. I want it to be great, but I’ve got the pressure of having been in R.E.M. and it’s a high bar, because I want this to be as good as that, and that’s near impossible. So it’s f*cking exciting but also terrifying, and I’m doing the music for the first time too, and I think I’m good at it but not great. But I love my voice. I don’t like my speaking voice but I love my singing voice, and I so want to immerse myself back into offering music to the world,” he told The Times.
In the same conversation he revealed he still needs to write the lyrics of 8 songs. In a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, he revealed that one song is inspired by the sound of a tree. “One of the songs is the sound of a tree hearing itself for the first time. It’s this confusing situation. My friend recorded a tree in my backyard in Georgia and played it back to itself, and so it sounds like Daft Punk,” he said.
Michael Stipe helped to form R.E.M. in Athens, Georgia back in 1980 alongside drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills. They were students of the University of Georgia and had the chance to release their debut album “Murmur” in 1983. Their most successful records would be released in the late 80s and 90s, including hits like “Losing My Religion”, “Everybody Hurts” and “Shinny Happy People”.