Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Reunite on New Duet

Paul McCartney has confirmed that his forthcoming album The Boys of Dungeon Lane will feature a long-awaited duet with Ringo Starr, titled “Home to Us.”

Speaking during an intimate listening session alongside producer Andrew Watt, McCartney walked a select audience through the origins of each track. When he arrived at “Home to Us,” he revealed that Starr’s involvement came together later than expected—and unfolded in an unexpectedly roundabout way.

“I saw Ringo and said I worked with this guy Andrew,” McCartney said. “Ringo came over to Andrew’s studio and played a little bit of drums.”

Even in its earliest stage, the collaboration carried a quiet weight: two surviving Beatles, still circling each other creatively decades after redefining popular music.

A Bit of Confusion

What seemed like a straightforward contribution soon became more complicated. Starr initially believed his brief drum session was enough to set the track in motion, trusting Watt to build upon it. McCartney, however, felt there was more to explore.

“I think Ringo thought that all he had to do was play a little bit of drums, and Andrew would make some marvelous thing out of it,” McCartney said.

Prompted by curiosity, McCartney asked Watt to revisit Starr’s recording. “Just see what he did, out of curiosity… I thought, ‘Wow, that’s really good… We should make the track that Ringo hoped, and then get it over to him and complete the circle.’”

From there, McCartney shaped a demo rooted in memories of Liverpool, threading nostalgia into the song’s emotional core. He sent it to Starr with an invitation to add vocals—but another misunderstanding followed. Starr recorded only the chorus, leaving McCartney briefly uncertain about his bandmate’s enthusiasm for the track.

It was a small misstep, but one that underscored how even decades-long musical partnerships can still misfire in subtle, human ways.

Completing the Circle—And Rewriting the Legacy

After clearing up the confusion, Starr returned to the studio, adding further drum work and completing his vocal performance. The track was expanded with additional vocals from Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and Sharleen Spiteri of Texas, giving the song a layered, communal feel.

“It’s a duet,” McCartney said, confirming what many fans had long hoped to hear. “It was really nice, because we’ve never done that. Ringo’s never just taken a duet with one of the Beatles, you know? So, there you go. We had it.”

More than just another collaboration, “Home to Us” arrives as a quiet milestone—less about rekindling the past and more about redefining what remains possible. Rather than leaning solely on nostalgia, the track suggests a forward-looking partnership, one that acknowledges history without being confined by it.

As The Boys of Dungeon Lane approaches its May 29 release, the duet stands not simply as a fan-service moment, but as a subtle reminder: even after decades of mythologized history, McCartney and Starr are still capable of finding new ways to create together—on their own terms, and with something left to say.