David Byrne Talks New Album, Puts Reunion Speculation With Talking Heads to Rest

David Byrne Talks New Album, Puts Reunion Speculation With Talking
David Byrne talks with Kelefa Sanneh during The 2023 New Yorker Festival at SVA Theatre on October 07, 2023 in New York City. Craig Barritt/Getty Images for The New Yorker/Getty Images

David Byrne is working on new music, though it won't involve Talking Heads.

In a new interview with RollingStone, the 73-year-old music icon confirmed that a reunion with his former bandmates won't happen, despite fans' hopes after their appearance together last year.

Byrne is set to release his new solo album, Who Is the Sky?, on September 5, and he's genuinely excited about it.

"You can't turn the clock back," Byrne said. "When you hear music at a certain point in your life, it means a lot. But it doesn't mean you can go back there and make it happen again."

Byrne addressed the reunion rumors himself, explaining that while he recently spent time with Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison to promote the re-release of "Stop Making Sense," that didn't spark any plans to tour or record together.

Bryne explained that while they felt at ease with each other, the idea of touring together didn't appeal to him, as his musical direction has changed significantly.

David Byrne Reflects on Past, Drops New Album Inspired by Texting Error

Talking Heads officially split in 1991 and haven't played live since their one-night-only reunion in 2002 at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Byrne admitted that, back in the day, he wasn't easy to work with. "I was very single-minded," he said.

He mentioned that he's learned how to collaborate more effectively now, finding ways to work with others without causing hurt feelings."

While fans may be sad about the band staying apart, Byrne's new music offers something fresh — and it comes with a fun backstory. The album's title, Who Is the Sky?, came from a voice-to-text error, Parade said.

"Somebody was sending me a text, and the algorithm got it a little bit wrong," Byrne explained. "And what came up on my phone was, 'Who is the sky?' I thought, 'That's a beautiful phrase.'"

The album features tracks like "Everybody Laughs," "She Explains Things to Me," and "The Avant Garde."

Byrne says the songs reflect big questions about identity and purpose. "We're always still figuring it out," he said. "Who we are, where we belong, how we feel about things."

Tags
David Byrne, New Album

© 2025 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Discussion