\n<\/p>\n
Michael Stipe<\/a> appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert<\/em><\/a> on Thursday evening, bringing with him a performance of a brand new song, plus an update on his long-awaited debut solo album.<\/p>\n A title for the album has not been revealed yet, but Stipe noted that he’s currently “writing the final lyrics” and shared a bit about the music.<\/p>\n “One of the songs is the sound of a tree hearing itself for the first time,” he said. “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.”<\/p>\n READ MORE:\u00a0<\/b>Underrated R.E.M.: The Most Overlooked Songs From Every LP<\/a><\/p>\n Though Stipe did not mention a specific date, he said that the album will be released at the end of this year.<\/p>\n On Colbert’s show, Stipe performed a brand new song called “The Rest of Ever,” which is available for viewing below.<\/p>\n Though he’s put out a few songs over the years, this will be Stipe’s first ever solo release, and it’s a project he’s been working on for quite a while.\u00a0In a recent interview with The Times<\/em><\/a>, the former R.E.M.<\/a> singer spoke about how the pandemic was a key factor in the delay of the album.<\/p>\n “Covid didn\u2019t help,” he explained, “but I’m finishing it. When the band split<\/a>, 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***ing 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.”<\/p>\n These projects didn’t quite make it to the finish line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: UCR Staff<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhy Has Michael Stipe’s Album Taken This Long to Make?<\/h3>\n
Top 40 Unfinished or Unreleased Rock Albums<\/h2>\n