Ringo Has A New Album Out But He’s Not Gonna Perform It On Tour – Here’s Why

Ringo Starr is releasing new music this year, but it won’t be featured on his tour.

In a recent interview with Variety, Starr addressed why he avoids playing new material on the road with the All-Starr Band. He explained that introducing fresh songs during a concert often results in audience members using those moments for bathroom breaks. “I promise you, any band out there, say ‘I’d like to do something from my new LP, EP, CD,’ and you can feel the vibe of people going to the toilet, or going to find some T-shirts,” Starr noted. He emphasized that the All-Starr Band’s strength lies in performing well-known hits, saying, “This, with the All-Starrs, is so great because [playing the hits] is why we’re there: We’re the best 1-800 band in the land right now, with Colin [Hay] and [Steve] Lukather and everybody.”

For fans eager to hear new tracks, Starr’s latest EP, Crooked Boy, was released in April and produced by Linda Perry. Starr praised Perry’s work, stating:

“Linda did a great job. She wrote me four great songs, so I’m only playing drums and singing them, and the rest of the instrumentals, that’s the band she found. And a big find for me was Nick [Valensi of the Strokes], on guitar — he was so great.”

Ringo Starr Ventures into Country Music

Starr isn’t stopping there. He’s currently working on his first full-length album since 2019, which will be a country album. The yet-to-be-titled LP is a collaboration with T Bone Burnett, who provided Starr with nine songs, despite Starr not initially planning a full album. Reflecting on the process, Starr said:

“As far as I’m concerned, the drums are good and the songs are good and, you know, I sing to the best of my ability, but sometimes I change the melody. That’s the way I am, and I had to back off a bit and do his melody, because he wrote it. So that’s what happened. It just came about and we’re just going with the flow. And now we’ve got a country record.”

Starr’s commitment to staying true to his musical roots while also exploring new genres highlights his enduring creativity and adaptability as an artist. While fans may not hear the new material live, they can look forward to experiencing it through his recordings.