Michael Stipe is offering another glimpse into his long-gestating solo era. The former R.E.M. frontman today (July 24) unveiled “Hum Desiderata,” a new spoken word and musical work created for the latest edition of the online sound/art platform Joyfully Waiting. Click here to sample it.
Rather than a conventional single, the piece pairs Stipe’s recitation of Max Ehrmann’s beloved poem “Desiderata” with an instrumental version of his unreleased song “Hum,” offering another preview of the sonic world surrounding his in-progress solo debut album. The recording combines Stipe’s narration from his Desiderata installation at ICA Milan with music written and produced alongside longtime collaborator Andy LeMaster. Athens, Ga., artist Elizabeth Hatmaker contributes additional vocals.
As previously reported, Stipe has been steadily assembling his first solo album after years of resisting the idea of making music outside R.E.M. The project has evolved over several years and will eventually mark his first full-length collection under his own name following the band’s 2011 breakup.
During an April appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert where he performed the new track “The Rest of Ever,” the heavily bearded 66-year-old vocalist said one of the album’s songs “is the sound of a tree hearing itself for the first time. My friend recorded a tree in my backyard in Georgia and played it back to itself.” Stipe said the ensuing song “sounds like Daft Punk” and that he reworked the lyrics to the 250-year-old sea shanty “Drunken Sailor” to pair with it.
While Stipe has remained musically active through occasional collaborations and live appearances since R.E.M.’s split, much of the past decade has found him immersed in visual art. His multidisciplinary work spans photography, sculpture, video and sound installations, and his first institutional exhibition opened at Milan’s ICA in 2023. He has also published four photography books through Italian publisher Damiani.
“Hum Desiderata” appears as part of Joyfully Waiting, a free online platform dedicated to original sound works by artists and writers. Each edition assembles a collection of audio-based pieces intended to be experienced as an immersive exhibition.
