The Cure will mark the 40th anniversary of their first album (1979’s Three Imaginary Boys) in 2019. In celebration of the milestone, singer/songwriter/guitarist Robert Smith announced that the band was heading into the studio to record a new album which they plan to release next year. A new album would mark the band’s first new original music since 2008’s 4:13 Dream.
The news came during a BBC6 radio interview with Smith, who noted “I’ve suddenly fallen in love with the idea of writing new songs.” He continued, “It’s the 40th anniversary of the first album in 2019. I thought, ‘If I don’t have something out new that year, that’s it for me. I don’t think the Cure will ever release another album.'”
In the radio spot, Robert Smith also noted that his reborn enthusiasm for writing new music likely stems from his gig as the curator of Meltdown Festival in London last year, and revealed that The Cure will headline the final day of Meltdown Festival 2018 (June 15th – 24th). Rather than play a traditional set, however, the show will feature “interpretations of Cure songs” with “different configurations of people on stage,” including Smith solo.
Other previously announced artists scheduled at the Smith-curated Meltdown Festival this year include Nine Inch Nails, My Bloody Valentine, Deftones, The Libertines, The Psychedelic Furs, and more. As Smith noted when the initial lineup was announced, “I have finally figured out my Meltdown festival psychedelic puzzle… and it really is just like heaven… ten delirious June days at London’s Southbank Centre await!”
The Cure’s Meltdown Festival performance will be followed by their previously announced 40th-anniversary performance at London’s Hyde Park with help from Interpol, Slowdive, Ride, Goldfrapp, Editors, and The Twilight Sad.
You can listen to Robert Smith’s full interview with BBC6 below:
[Audio: BBC]
[H/T Consequence of Sound]