Gerard Way, former frontman of the ace pop punk band My Chemical Romance, has confirmed details of his forthcoming solo debut LP. Titled Hesitant Alien, it will be out on September 29 via Warner Bros. Records, and takes its cues from, variously, Britpop, Sleater-Kinney and Black Francis. Says Way: "I wanted to make the small things sound big. My intention was to make 100 per cent uncompromised art, using the currently least radio-friendly instrument, the guitar. I knew there would be lots of fuzz pedals. I knew I would play Fender instruments. I knew I would look at who my guitar heroes were in art school, Mary Timony and Carrie Brownstein, and I drew a lot of influence from shoegaze and Britpop. I want the record to sonically galvanise people." On its lyrics, he adds that it’s about: "struggle, beginnings, finding a newness in the mundane and the abstract. I looked to the Britpop poets like Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn, drawing upon everyday life. I also experimented with the abstract, and looked at Frank Black’s work both with the Pixies, and as a solo artist. There was no concept and no call-to-arms."
There’s just a 30-second teaser for the album knocking around at the moment – have a look at that below:
