Former Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher has decided there's not enough Noel Gallagher in the world today, and let it be known that he's getting ready to head into the studio to record a follow-up to this summer's Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds album Council Skies.
Noel Gallagher onstage at Zenith in Paris, November 11, 2023.
Speaking to The Sun (via Music-News), Gallagher said, "I’ve had to stop writing because I need to get these songs recorded and get them out there so I can write some more. In the pandemic, there was nothing to do all day so I just wrote songs. There’s another two albums-worth of material there. I think I’m going to be back in the studio in January, so we’ll see where it goes from there."
Council Skies, released in May 2023 (and preceded by the single "Pretty Boy"), was a tribute to the area of Manchester where he grew up with brothers Liam and Paul and his mother Peggy. Coming six years after Who Built The Moon?, Council Skies (named after a book by artist Pete McKee) peaked at Number 2 on the UK charts.
OASIS - Noel Gallagher interview at the 2006 "Q Awards"
Gallagher and the High Flying Birds — former Oasis members Gem Archer (guitar), Mike Rowe (piano) and Chris Sharrock (drums), as well as former Zutons member Russell Pritchard (bass) and multi-instrumentalist Jessica Greenfield — toured North America during the summer with Garbage and Canadian indie rock band Metric.
Gallagher also said he was still learning about the impact of his anthems on audiences, adding: "I wouldn’t still be doing it after 30 years if I didn’t love it.
"You tend to find out more about the songs when you play them live than when you're just listening to them at home. It’s a special thing. The live experience, although the songs are the same – it’s a little bit different."
Noel Gallagher at South Facing at Crystal Palace Bowl , London, July 28, 2023.
It's been a challenging year for Gallagher, and he also spoke about his recent divorce from wife Sara McDonald. He admitted that a good portion of Council Skies reflected this split and helped him to "come to terms" with the break-up.
"Divorce is a long, drawn-out process, so it affects the mood of the album, for sure. When you're an artist you write about what you know, and I don’t really have much to say about life in general, as I don’t really give a f**k about most things I see on the news. So when things happen in your life that you can articulate, I tend to jump on them, and it makes for better art."
Noel Gallagher in attendance during the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final Second Leg Manchester City vs Real Madrid at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK, May 17, 2023.
Gallagher, who was in Las Vegas in October to see U2 perform their UV: Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, added he loved the idea of not having to move in between gigs like Elvis during his famed runs in Vegas. He told comedian Matt Morgan on his podcast: "Would I do Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds in Vegas? Possibly in later life. Elvis Presley used to get a lift from his room to the stage – I wouldn’t mind doing that."
