Damon Albarn Will Release His First Solo Album Next Year
Damon Albarn offered a tiny taste of his first-ever solo album today through a twenty-second teaser on YouTube. Shot in black and white, the clip briefly shows Albarn from the back at a piano while keyboard chords ring against a heartbeat-like tapping. Little information is offered about the project, except an arrival date sometime in 2014.
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In an interview with Rolling Stone this past May, Albarn revealed a few details about the new album, which he described as “sort of folk soul.”
“I’ve been making it with [XL Records chief] Richard Russell,” he said. “Making a solo record can be such a disaster, so I thought if we’re going to make a record with my name on it, I should get someone to really produce it – take that responsibility away from myself. Richard does the kind of rhythmic side of it and I do everything else.”
Albarn also said he’d be hitting the road in support of the solo debut, and he plans to use the shows as an opportunity to play songs from his entire career, including work from Blur, Gorillaz and the Good, the Bad and the Queen. No dates have been confirmed. He also told the Wall Street Journal over the summer that Blur will begin work on a new album after the solo record comes out.