American singer-songwriter Belinda Carlisle has announced the release of a new studio album that pays tribute to her Californian upbringing.
The album, Once Upon A Time In California, will feature 10 songs which aim to capture the “sounds of her youth”.
Carlisle, 66, is best known for her hit song Heaven Is A Place On Earth and for being the former frontwoman in the pop-rock group The Go-Go’s.
Speaking about the new album, the singer said: “I was born and raised in California at a time when music was an important part of Californian culture.
“I lived and breathed music, it was my great escape – a refuge of fantasy and imagination.
“Every day after school and when it was summer vacation, I would listen and sing along to the music on the radio for the entire day. Always fantasising about being a singer myself, one day.”
The album will be released ahead of her Heavenly Hits UK tour and includes her lead single, a rework of The Hollies hit track The Air That I Breathe.
The singer added: “This collection of songs is the best representation of what I loved back then that I could think of – listening to it brings back so many memories of a time and a California that doesn’t really exist anymore.
“That’s not meant to sound like a bad thing, it’s just different – there was an innocence and energy back then that was unique and magical. Things I doubt will ever be felt in quite the same way again. Here’s to the California of my dreams.”
Prior to her solo career, Carlisle was part of the 70s rock band The Go-Go’s, who were best known for their songs We Got The Beat and Our Lips Are Sealed.
The band split in 1985 and a year later Carlisle released her debut solo album, Belinda, followed by her top 10 UK albums Heaven On Earth, Runaway Horses, and Real.
The singer is due to set off on her UK tour in September with performances scheduled in London, Edinburgh and Manchester.
Once Upon A Time In California is due to be released on August 29.
