Duran Duran Announce Special Recording Project Featuring Andy Taylor and “Family and Friends”

Duran Duran, newly inducted members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, have officially announced a new music project slated for release later this year. The project will feature former guitarist Andy Taylor, who is currently battling a terminal illness, as well as other unspecified “family and friends.” The band confirmed the news in a social media post and an interview with The Mirror, stating that BMG will release the project in 2023.

In the interview, bassist John Taylor revealed that Duran Duran were inspired to work on a new album with Andy Taylor after he publicly disclosed his ongoing battle with stage four metastatic prostate cancer. Duran Duran shared the news of Andy Taylor’s diagnosis during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last November, which Taylor was unable to attend himself.

John Taylor explained, “We’re working on an album right now that is going to be coming out at the end of the year and [Andy Taylor] is playing guitar. There’s a lot of cover songs on the album, songs meaningful to us when we were kids. So having him be a part of that project is great.”

Duran Duran frontman Simon LeBon is set to travel to Andy Taylor’s studio in Ibiza to record with his former bandmate, while the rest of the album will be recorded in Los Angeles and London.

Comprised of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, and Roger Taylor, Duran Duran has shared little about the project’s specifics, including which other collaborators will join them.

Initially parting ways with Duran Duran following the 1983 release of Seven and the Ragged Tiger, Andy Taylor eventually reunited with the original five-member ensemble in the early 2000s. This reformation led to the creation of the 2004 album Astronaut. However, subsequent to the supporting tour and the initiation of a new album, Andy Taylor once again distanced himself from the band. At that time, Duran Duran issued a statement addressing the insurmountable rift between the guitarist and the rest of the group.

Last fall, as Duran Duran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Andy Taylor shared a letter to fans via the band’s website, where he expressed his pride in the band and gratitude for the recognition:

“I’m so very proud of these four brothers; I’m amazed at their durability, and I’m overjoyed at accepting this award. I often doubted the day would come. I’m sure as hell glad I’m around to see the day.”

Before the release of the new project, Duran Duran is set to embark on a 27-date North American tour this spring and summer in support of their most recent album, Future Past. The tour will kick off on May 27 at the BottleRock Festival in Napa Valley, California, and runs through September 19 in Toronto. Other notable stops include Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, and two shows at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

The band’s Announcement via social media, and tour dates can be found below:

Duran Duran Tour Dates:

• May 27: Napa Valley, CA – BottleRock Festival
• May 28: San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose
• May 31: Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
• June 1: Portland, OR – Moda Center
• June 3: Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Arena
• June 6: Austin, TX – Moody Center
• June 7: New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
• June 9: Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
• June 10: Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
• June 13: Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
• June 15: Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
• June 17: Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
• June 18: Sunrise, FL – FL Live Arena
• Aug. 24: Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center
• Aug. 26: Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Rena
• Aug. 28: Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
• Aug. 29: Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
• Aug. 31: St. Paul, MN – Minnesota State Fair
• Sept. 1: Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion @ Northerly Island
• Sept. 3: Canandaigua, NY – CMAC
• Sept. 6: Boston, MA – TD Garden
• Sept. 7: Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
• Sept. 9: Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Points Arena
• Sept. 10: Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blosson Music Center
• Sept. 13: Washington, D.C. – Capital One Arena
• Sept. 16: Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
• Sept. 19: Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

* New York City and Los Angeles dates to be announced