Andy Bell has shared details of his debut solo album, The View From Halfway Down.
The album is the product of a gradual, four-year writing process and was finished during lockdown. It initially came about after the Ride frontman was influenced by David Bowie’s death in 2016 to be more proactive about finishing his songs, and more confident about sharing them.
Bell laid down some tracks in former Beady Eye and Oasis bandmate Gem’s studio, but got diverted when Ride’s live reunion was extended. It took the pandemic for him to finish the project. Above, you can watch a video for five-minute lead track ‘Love Comes In Waves’.
"I’ve always wanted to make a solo album," Bell says. "I’ve always said I would do it, although I never imagined it happening like, or sounding like, this one does. I’d been sitting on this pile of almost finished tracks, along with all the other hundreds of ideas that had fallen by the wayside since I’ve been making music. Lockdown gave me the opportunity to find a way to present it to the world."
Bell continues: "The album is not about songwriting. There aren’t many verses or choruses, because this album is about sounds, a listening experience."
Sonic Cathedral will release The View From Halfway Down on October 9, 2020.
