Michael Stipe says his solo album "should come together next year"

During a new feature with Departures, Michael Stipe was asked about what he's working on music-wise, leading him to respond, "I’m working on a solo album, my first. I’m collaborating with a bunch of different musicians and each of those songs, if I get my way, which I think I will because I’m paying for it, will be very different. I have no management. I have no label. For the first time in my adult life, I don’t have a contract with anyone except myself. So I get to do whatever I want."

During a new feature with Departures, Michael Stipe was asked about what he's working on music-wise, leading him to respond, "I’m working on a solo album, my first. I’m collaborating with a bunch of different musicians and each of those songs, if I get my way, which I think I will because I’m paying for it, will be very different. I have no management. I have no label. For the first time in my adult life, I don’t have a contract with anyone except myself. So I get to do whatever I want."

He added, "Anyway, there will be a visual representation for each of the songs, and it should come together next year. I’m hoping to build slowly. At the same time, I’m putting together my first institutional art show in Milan at ICA. I’m working on a bunch of sculpture pieces for that. There will be a lot of photo-based portraiture. So I have the record, the show, and then of course to further complicate it and make it difficult on myself, my next book with Damiani will come out as a loose program of the show. And I’m doing something that I’m completely terrified of and not sure that I’m capable of. Actually, I know that I’m incapable, but I’ve started painting."

He added, "Anyway, there will be a visual representation for each of the songs, and it should come together next year. I’m hoping to build slowly. At the same time, I’m putting together my first institutional art show in Milan at ICA. I’m working on a bunch of sculpture pieces for that. There will be a lot of photo-based portraiture. So I have the record, the show, and then of course to further complicate it and make it difficult on myself, my next book with Damiani will come out as a loose program of the show. And I’m doing something that I’m completely terrified of and not sure that I’m capable of. Actually, I know that I’m incapable, but I’ve started painting."

He also spoke about nearly leaving music altogether once R.E.M. came to and end, saying, "When the band disbanded, I couldn’t imagine continuing with music, and it took five years before I could come back to the idea of it. And it came back completely by accident with a Fischerspooner project, which I loved. I’m still blown away at how good the material was that we worked with on that record, which was called “Sir.” And it established a long-standing working relationship with myself and producer Andy LeMaster, which is really important."

He also spoke about nearly leaving music altogether once R.E.M. came to and end, saying, "When the band disbanded, I couldn’t imagine continuing with music, and it took five years before I could come back to the idea of it. And it came back completely by accident with a Fischerspooner project, which I loved. I’m still blown away at how good the material was that we worked with on that record, which was called “Sir.” And it established a long-standing working relationship with myself and producer Andy LeMaster, which is really important."