R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe Debuts Two New Solo Songs
The R.E.M. frontman performed two new songs ‘Your Capricious Soul’ and ‘Drive To The Ocean’ during his opening set for Patti Smith.
R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe performed two new songs ‘Your Capricious Soul’ and ‘Drive To The Ocean’ during his opening set for Patti Smith at the newly reopened Webster Hall, reports Billboard.
While the song hasn’t been officially released, clips of the performance have surfaced on social media. It also marks the singer’s first fully formed solo track since his contribution to French artist Sophie Calle’s tribute to her beloved cat, a cover of Calle’s ‘Souris nocturne’, last year.
“Thank you for shaving,” an audience member told Stipe. “There’s a whole story behind that, which you’ll hear later,” Stipe said. The singer performed a roughly 15-minute set and was joined by fellow Athens, GA alum Andy LeMaster
Stipe originally performed the song at a private event at the American Museum Of Natural History in New York as part of EarthFest celebrations last month.
While the song hasn’t been officially released, clips of his performance at the museum were posted online.
Stipe also performed a short song titled ‘Future, If Future’, last March in honour of the March For Our Lives, the gun violence prevention non-profit.
Stipe and Smith are also among a group of artists auctioning off autographed setlists from their classic shows for the Setlists for Young Voices initiative. Along with R.E.M.’s 1989 Wembley Arena show, other setlists include The Who’s Mexico City performance in 2016, Steely Dan and Nine Inch Nails, among others.
The initiative was organised by authors Dave Eggers, Nick Hornby (High Fidelity), and Michael Chabon, with all proceeds going towards Ministry of Stories and The International Congress of Youth Voices.
R.E.M. recently announced their platinum-selling collection, In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 would be heading to vinyl for the first time in over 15 years on 14 June. The album includes 18 songs from the iconic alt-rockers, spanning 1988’s ‘Green’ to 2001’s ‘Reveal’, plus two previously unreleased tracks.
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