Michael Stipe's Solo Debut: A Wild Ride

0:00On April 24th, Michael Steip, the former frontman of R.E.M., is putting the finishing touches on his first solo album after years of work. The 66-year-old singer has faced delays from COVID and the pressure of matching his band's legacy, but he's pushing through to make it, top notch. In a recent TV spot on the late show, with Stephen Colbert, Steip revealed he's writing the final lyrics. One track captures a tree in his Georgia backyard hearing its own recorded sounds for the first time, coming off like something from Daft Punk, with hints of a sea shanty vibe. Fans are buzzing about this fresh direction, especially after R.E.M. Same for original members reunited last summer for their songwriter's Hall of Fame induction, their first full show together since the mid-90s. That one-off gig marked Bill Berry's return on drums since his brain aneurysm back in 1995, but the band's last official concert was. In Mexico City, on November 18th, 2008, Steip calls the group close friends who beat the odds of a 31-year run, with no reunion plans ahead.

1:07Still, he's eyeing a release for the solo project sometime this year, and it shapes up to be a wild ride. From the world of music, powered by AI, this is Music News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.