Roger Taylor has released the first single from his forthcoming new solo album, Outsider The song will feature Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall and provides fans with the first taste of Taylor’s first new album in eight years.
“We’re All Just Trying To Get By” was written during “the dark depths of lockdown” but looks at the positives of being human and our need to survive. The song is an achingly beautiful ballad and a classy curtain-raiser to his upcoming album. There is a dreamy pop feel with a sweeping widescreen melody combined with a profound and uplifting message. Listen to his latest track below.
The Queen drummer said of the track “I tried to highlight the great things in life. It’s the simplest statement really. It’s what every life force on Earth is doing: just trying to get by and proliferate and exist. That’s all we are trying to do, from plants to animals to humans, trying to survive. For all our troubles and everything, every sort of life is all just trying to get by. Also, of course, we are in the middle of a bloody pandemic… I mean, even the coronavirus is just trying to get by too!”
He then added of Tunstall’s involvement “The track was all finished and it was suggested it might be nice if we got KT involved. I love what she did, I think it really adds to the track. And she’s very clever. I think people forget that she was really the pioneer as far as I know of looping, the looping technique which obviously Ed Sheeran is brilliant at and has made very popular. But I remember her doing it, what, 15 years ago? Fantastic. She’s a very talented singer and musician and it’s lovely to have her on the track. It’s a very nice partnership.”
Tunstall was all too glad to be a part of the song “It was the coolest surprise Roger getting in touch during lockdown and asking me to lend my vocals to this great and meaningful song. What a pleasure to work with such a brilliant writer and musical hero.”
Outsider will be released on October 1 on the following formats: 1LP 180g Black Vinyl, 1LP 180g Transparent Blue Colour Vinyl, 1x Transparent Blue Colour Cassette, 1CD, Digital Download and streaming. You can Pre-order here.
Taylor is also is set to play cuts from his latest release along with some Queen classics on a 14-date UK tour this autumn. The tour begins on October 2 at Newcastle’s O2 Academy before ending at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on October 22 – see all the details here.
