Iconic rock band The Rolling Stones have announced their first album of original music in 18 years, marking their comeback after the passing of drummer Charlie Watts, who was featured on two of the songs.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, the 61-year-old surviving core members of the band, appeared on stage at the London Theater on Wednesday to discuss the recording of “Hackney Diamonds” ahead of the video premiere for the single. “Angry,” which features a performance by actress Sydney Sweeney,
Band leader Jagger, 80, stated that the band was “pretty excited” about recording new music.
“Every day was like working on two or three songs, so we kept up the excitement,” he told Reuters news agency after the release.
The album has a contemporary sound, with a mix of rock, ballads, dance music, and a touch of “country,” according to him.
Richards, whose songwriting collaboration with Jagger is one of the longest-running and most successful in rock history, said Watts’ death in 2021 prompted the band to record new music.
“I think because of Charlie’s passing, we feel like we’ve moved on, and we have to keep an identity and say, ‘Hey, this is just rock and roll. But you know, here we are,'” the 79-year-old said.
This highly anticipated album is the group’s first of original material since “A Bigger Bang” in 2005. The band released a blues cover set titled “Blue & Lonesome” in 2016.
Former Stones bassist Bill Wyman, new drummer Steve Jordan, former Beatle Paul McCartney, and Stevie Wonder all participated on the album.
The 12-track album, produced by award-winning Andrew Watt, was recorded in places including London, Los Angeles, and Nassau.
The recording, whose title refers to broken glass after a robbery, will be released on October 20.
Founded in 1962, the Stones show no signs of retiring. The band went on a 60th anniversary tour of Europe in 2022, and Wood said they had a “draft” US tour for next year.
Wood claimed that withdrawal would be “impossible.”
“You have to keep playing,” he concluded.