Former The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has announced he will release his first studio album in four years.
The 62-year-old will release his fifth album, The Age Of Everything, on October 2 – which follows 2022’s Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 – while the record’s lead single Spin is out now.
Marr said: “This is the record that’s been the most cathartic. The title came to me early in the process and became an inescapable idea. It seemed to sum up the way I think a lot of people are feeling. It’s all-encompassing but it’s not necessarily a negative statement.
“There’s a sense of overwhelm in the culture brought about by technology but, looking at it with a different light, there could also be a sense of possibility.”
Marr will perform concerts at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl on July 9, and at London’s Wembley Arena on October 24, in support of the album, preceded by two smaller warm-up dates at Leeds’ Stylus on July 6 and O2 Academy Liverpool on July 7.
Fans who pre-order The Age Of Everything from Marr’s store will receive access to an exclusive fan presale for the dates, which will run from 10am on Wednesday June 17, until the general sale which starts at 10am on Friday June 19.
The 10-track LP was written in London and recorded in Manchester, having been developed while Marr was touring North America, where many of his sets contained new and unheard music.
The album will be released on streaming, CD, black vinyl record and limited edition red vinyl record, with the official artist store also stocking an exclusive limited 3 Colour splatter vinyl record.
With The Smiths, who were completed by singer Morrissey, bass player Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, Marr was one of the pioneers of British indie rock in the 1980s.
The band released four critically acclaimed studio albums in The Smiths (1984), Meat Is Murder (1985), The Queen Is Dead (1986), and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987), before breaking up in 1987.
They achieved three UK top 10 singles, and were best known for songs such as How Soon Is Now?, This Charming Man and Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.
Marr launched his solo career with 2013 album The Messenger, with all of his solo albums charting in the UK top 10.
The guitarist collaborated with pop star Billie Eilish and composer Hans Zimmer in 2020 on the James Bond theme song No Time To Die, and Marr has also spent time as a member of bands including The The, The Cribs and Modest Mouse.
