UPDATE (8/3): Just under a fortnight since he was announced as the forthcoming artist to grace the cover of Rolling Stone Australia/NZ, beloved Aussie music icon Daniel Johns has announced a slight postponement for the release of his forthcoming album, FutureNever.
Now set to arrive on April 22nd (a few weeks later than its initial April 1st release date), Johns explained on social that the reason for the delay boils down to the inclusion of the song “Emergency Calls Only”, recorded with iconic composer Van Dyke Parks.
As he continues, the track “required a little bit more work to get it to the point it needed to be”, meaning that he could either include the song in its incomplete form, leave the song off the album entirely, or move the release of the record to accommodate its completion.
“After first working together on Diorama, Van Dyke and I have rekindled that energy and spirit on this song and I genuinely think it’s worth the extra time to get right,” Johns continues. “It’s sounds like a portal into a different place and time, once you step into it you’re not sure if you have gone back or forward in time.
“I think I understand you guys pretty well after being more engaged on here and I feel I owe you the best record I can possibly create,” he adds. “I want to deliver the creative vision to you all without compromise.”
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He’s been the talk of the town due to the massive success of Spotify’s Who Is Daniel Johns? podcast, but as the dust settles and fans digest the answers given to them, its namesake has announced his first solo album in six years, FutureNever.
Set for release on April 1st, FutureNever is Johns’ first full-length solo record since the release of Talk back in 2015. Since then, he’s not been lazy either, working with Luke Steele on DREAMS, who released their self-titled record in 2018.
Announcing the record via a personal letter to fans, Johns explains that the album will drop as a singular body of work, with no singles set to arrive in its lead-up, while its release also coincides with a newly-revitalised version of its creator.
“Thank you for listening to my podcast Who Is Daniel Johns?,” Johns begins. “I didn’t know that I needed that experience but I did. The reception around the world has inspired me and I’m not anxious about what comes next anymore, I’m ready for the FutureNever.
“FutureNever is my new album, it is coming out April 1st 2022 and is available for pre-order now. This time I’m doing things on my own terms, FutureNever will be the first album I release on my own label via a new global deal with my friends at BMG.
“FutureNever is a place where your past, present and future collide – in the FutureNever the quantum of your past experiences become your superpower,” he continues. “The experience of the podcast has helped me make peace with my past and I’m ready to tackle this new world bravely.”
Describing the record as an eclectic collection of the music he’s crafted over the past years, Johns also explains that it’s a highly-collaborative album, with specific artists set to be named in the coming months.
“I won’t be leading in with singles, the album is designed to be enjoyed as an album,” he explains. “Call me a hopeless romantic but that’s the benefit of releasing music on your own label. Nobody can tell you what to do.
“FutureNever is an eclectic mix of music that I’ve made over the last couple of years. A few of my friends will be jumping on the record, I’ll be slowly revealing them in the lead up to the album.”
With pre-orders for the album available now via the FutureNever.art website, Johns also explains that fans who order the record will also receive a new version of the Silverchair track “After All These Years”, which had been previewed throughout the Who Is Daniel Johns? podcast.
“FutureNever.art is an evolving, interactive platform and leading into the album release I have a lot of surprises planned,”Johns explains. “I’m ready to have fun with this and I’m excited to do this together with you.
“I know I have a tendency to go missing but I’m back now,” he concludes. “Follow me into FutureNever.”
Daniel Johns’ FutureNever will be released on April 1st, 2022, with pre-orders available now.
