Over the past decade, legendary Police songwriter Sting has released collections of covers and classical reworkings, but now he's finally preparing to drop his first album of original material since 2003's Sacred Love. The Last Ship is due out on Cherrytree/Interscope/A&M Records on September 24.
As the New York Times reports, the new songs come from a musical that Sting has been working on, also called The Last Ship, which producers hope will hit Broadway next year. It's about the decline of Newcastle's shipbuilding industry during the '80s and is set in Wallsend, England, close to where Sting grew up.
The album will contain songs from the musical, in addition to tunes written for the project but not included in the theatrical version. Sting penned this material over three years with writers John Logan (Skyfall, Gladiator) and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal). The play will be directed by Joe Mantello (Wicked).
According to the New York Times, the songs function as storytelling vehicles for the plot, and the material ranges from the "waltz-time folk tune" that is the title track to the "jazzy funk" of "And Yet."
As the New York Times reports, the new songs come from a musical that Sting has been working on, also called The Last Ship, which producers hope will hit Broadway next year. It's about the decline of Newcastle's shipbuilding industry during the '80s and is set in Wallsend, England, close to where Sting grew up.
The album will contain songs from the musical, in addition to tunes written for the project but not included in the theatrical version. Sting penned this material over three years with writers John Logan (Skyfall, Gladiator) and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal). The play will be directed by Joe Mantello (Wicked).
According to the New York Times, the songs function as storytelling vehicles for the plot, and the material ranges from the "waltz-time folk tune" that is the title track to the "jazzy funk" of "And Yet."
