Ahead of The Cure’s headlining spot at the 2019 “Rock on the Lawns” music festival at Kenilworth Racecourse on March 21st—a gig that is the 40 year old band’s first ever trip to South Africa—frontman Robert Smith was interviewed on The John Maytham Show where he briefly mentions that the band’s 14th studio album is on the way.
During the interview Smith said he still enjoys making music and the band have “just recorded a new album for the first time in 10 years,” going on to add:
“I’m still doing this for the right reasons, ” and that, while the group might cover different styles of temperament music ranging from whimsical to sad that “because it’s us doing it, it sounds us.”
The record, is as-of-yet-untitled with no release date announced at this time, as it has not been confirmed as being finished. At what stage in production the new album is at regarding being edited, mixed, and mastered, is also unknown at this time.
Also during the interview Smith also mentions how his older brother got him into the music of the 60s, how Siouxsie and The Banshees fans inspired his look, and indicates how he is not going to let anyone co-opt his Albert Camus’ inspired song “Killing An Arab” to spread hate.
Update:
Robert Smith has clarified in a follow-up interview that that after coming out of the studio two weeks before the South African gigs that:
“We’ve just started—we haven’t quite finished, recording our first new album for 10 years”
Listen below:
Previously in December Robert Smith had stated about going into the the studio:
“So, yes, we’re going in about six weeks time to finish off what will be our first album in more than a decade. It’s very exciting times for us all around.”
Later this month The Cure are set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Nine Inch Nail’s Trent Reznor.
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