Bez has teased plans for a new Happy Mondays album – their first since 2007’s ‘Uncle Dysfunktional’.
Last November, NME spoke to Shaun Ryder and his maraca shaking sidekick about the band’s plans to get “back at it” with music in 2025.
Asked at the time how 2024 had been for the Mondays, Ryder replied: “Quiet, because we kind of knocked it on the head in 2024. We went out doing Black Grape and Mantra Of The Cosmos, so in 2025 we’ll be back at it.”
Bez added: “We’re getting the band back together again…again!”
Now, Bez has said the band are working on a new album after being persuaded to get back into the studio by their manager Alan McGee.
He told The Sun: “There’s talk of a new album to come, which I’m really fucking looking forward to. It’s going to be visionary. It’s going to be massive. It’s an idea and Alan normally gets what he wants. With all my heart and soul, I want it more than anyone.
“I want to hear the most magic shit you’ve ever heard. And I’m sure we can deliver it.”
He also said being older and wiser has made it easier to make a new record: “We were fucking green when we started. We didn’t even know what ‘one, two, three, four’, was. That’s how naive we’ve always been. We’re still maturing and the best is yet to come.
“Shaun never stops being creative, it’s in his fucking blood. It always amazes me the shit he comes out with. It’s fucking genius.”
Bez also said working with Zak Starkey on their side project Mantra Of The Cosmos, helped with their songwriting.
He continued: “Zak is the driving force behind the creativity. It’s ignited us all and got us all excited again. What more can you ask for than to be excited about the shit you do?”
Last month, the group – which sees Ryder perform alongside Starkey (The Who), Bez and guitarist Andy Bell (Oasis, Ride) – were forced to cancel a secret intimate gig in London due to Starkey suffering a blood clot in his right leg.
The cancelled gig came just days after Mantra Of The Cosmos performed a pair of shows in Liverpool on January 19 after releasing the psychedelic single ‘Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous)’ with Noel Gallagher. The band are also currently working on an album.
Elsewhere, Happy Mondays vocalist and percussionist Rowetta recently parted ways with the band after 34 years.
Taking to social media at the time, both the singer and Happy Mondays shared a statement sharing the departure of Rowetta from the group. “Happy Mondays and Rowetta announce that Rowetta will no longer be performing with the band,” it read.
It continued: “Happy Mondays thank Rowetta for her services and wish her the best for the future.” The vocalist joined the band back in 1990 and was featured on the band’s single ‘Step On’ which peaked at Number Five on the charts. She went on to appear on their third and fourth studio albums, ‘Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches’ and ‘Yes Please!’, and joined the band for three world tours.
In other news, it was recently announced that Happy Mondays would be joining James on the Colchester date of their huge summer 2025 UK tour.
Ryder’s other band, Black Grape also announced details of a new UK tour, celebrating 30 years of ‘It’s Great When You’re Straight, Yeah’. You can purchase any remaining tickets here.
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