Pink Floyd star David Gilmour is to release his first studio album in nine years.
The 78-year-old guitarist and vocalist announced he will put out the record Luck And Strange in September while lead single The Piper’s Call is set to come out on Thursday.
The lyrics were composed by his wife Polly Samson, who contributed to his fourth album Rattle That Lock in 2015.
Pink Floyd, made up of Gilmour, the late Richard Wright and Nick Mason, last released a studio album in 2014 with The Endless River, which featured previously unreleased songs. Both the band and Gilmour’s album topped the charts.
Speaking about Gilmour’s new album, Samson said: “It’s written from the point of view of being older – mortality is the constant.”
Gilmour added: “We spent a load of time during and after lockdown talking about and thinking about those kind of things.”
The record was produced by Gilmour and Charlie Andrew, a producer known for his work with Alt-J and Marika Hackman.
“We invited Charlie to the house, so he came and listened to some demos, and said things like, ‘Well, why does there have to be a guitar solo there?’ and ‘Do they all fade out? Can’t some of them just end?’,” Gilmour said.
“He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine. He’s very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that. That is just so good for me because the last thing you want is people just deferring to you.
“He wants to know what the songs are about, he wants everyone who’s playing on them to have the ideas that are in the lyric informing their playing. I have particularly loved it for that reason.”
The title track features the late Pink Floyd keyboard player Wright, using music recorded in 2007 at a jam in a barn at Gilmour’s home. Wright died of cancer in 2008.
Also contributing is musician Roger Eno, drummers Steve DiStanislao and Steve Gadd, and bassist Guy Pratt.
It was recorded over five months in Brighton and London and features eight new tracks along with a version of The Montgolfier Brothers’ Between Two Points.
Luck And Strange will be released on September 6 on Sony Music.