Late Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan‘s estate announces the release of previously UNRELEASED SONGS.
The 12 previously unreleased songs – one of which features BECK – will be included in a “Bubblegum” box set in celebration of the album’s 20th anniversary.
Titled “Bubblegum XX”, the set will include not only the 12 new songs and a remaster of the original album, but it will also contain a 64-page hardcover book with essays by Lanegan’s former collaborators and bandmates QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE’s JOSH HOMME and TROY VAN LEEUWEN, as well as DUFF MCKAGAN of Guns N’ Roses and GREG DULLI of The Afghan Whigs.
Troy Van Leeuwen writes about Mark Lanegan demos
“So these hotel demo sessions were basically forgotten…” Van Leeuwen wrote in reference to a few of the songs included in the upcoming release. “When I heard the news of Mark’s passing, these memories started rushing back to me. I searched through my archive of drives and somehow magically was able to open up these sessions. The original rough mixes are a real time capsule that stands up to the 20 years that have passed. It’s a true gift from Mark to those of us who love him and his unvarnished expression of beauty. With every listen, I am humbled and honored to share his gift with you.”
“Mark’s early solo works are undeniably powerful. They’re somber, fragile, breath-taking, beautiful and they’re more real than everyone else’s,” Homme wrote in his essay included in the set.
Earlier this week, Lanegan’s social media shared photos of Abbey Road Studios, where this box set was remastered. “Mark had been demoing songs for a new album, and he was booked to record at Abbey Road,” Beggars Arkive said. “It was a long-time dream of his to record in the legendary London studio, but since he never had the chance to do that, it’s fortuitous that the remastering for this release took place there, handled by Geoff Pesche. Mark had never been satisfied with the original cut of ‘Bubblegum’, so we are honored to help make his dream come true posthumously.”
