Julian Lennon

“If I was gonna write again I had to live again I had to look deep inside myself and start again.” So says Julian Lennon of his decision to return to the music industry after an absence of seven years. Indeed at the start of this decade it seemed unlikely that Julian would every record again. Despite the fact that he launched his career with the international hit single ‘Too Late for Goodbyes,’ despite the fact that between the years 1984 and 1991 he released four albums with combined sales of five and a half million, Julian had tired of the media circus.

His original independent label Charisma records had become absorbed into a major, and his success had attracted some “advisors” who were more than ready to relieve Julian of his income: “Control over your career is so important. How can you express yourself when other people are trying to do it for you?”

So Lennon quit. He spent the next few years living the life he had previously been denied during his punishing schedule. Relaxing in his lakeside house in Northern Italy. Sailing, Travelling. Accumulating antiques, rifling through flea markets. Anything that didn’t involve the dreaded ‘m’-word.

During this time Julian even considered other career options: “I needed to think about a life outside the industry. I’ve always been interested in architecture and interior design, and even cooking but in the end I started playing again because of my love of music – and I didn’t want to walk away from it all with the last four albums as a legacy!”

However this time round things had to be different. A chance meeting with producer Bob Rose (Roy Orbison, Edie Brickell) drew Julian back to the studio. He assembled supporting musicians including Simon Edwards (Fairground Attraction) on bass, Manny Elias (Tears for Fears) on drums, multi-instrumentalist Donal Lunny, guitarists Justin Clayton (Julian’s longtime friend and co-writing partner), Matt Backer and Robbie Blunt. The result was over an album’s worth of material.