Following last year’s release of a disc of re-recorded greatest hits, the surviving members of INXS have been promising fans new music — and today they deliver on that pledge, offering the first taste of what’s to come in the form of a gentle, acoustic Andrew Farriss home-studio demo called “Tiny Summer.”
In a letter to posted to the band’s site, Farriss writes that fans have been asking for new music, but, for him, “Songwriting is not about timing or acting on someone else’s demands. It’s about inspired work and instictively knowing when magic happens.” He explains:
“Without a doubt, amazing song magic happened when Michael and I were a creating writing team. Recently at a party, I met a fellow songwriter by accident, an Irish bloke, and we sat around playing songs on acoustic guitars. Despite his funny accent, we then spent a few days songwriting and singing together… song magic was in the room again.”
Farriss doesn’t name his new songwriting partner — although the vocal on the track bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain “Irish bloke” named Bono — but he offers up what apparently is one of the results of that encounter, “Tiny Summer,” which he describes as “a demo made in my lounge room, not a professional studio; however that may follow soon.”
STREAM: INXS, “Tiny Summer” (demo)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- INXS announces 25-date North American tour this summer in support of ‘Original Sin’
- INXS releases ‘Rocking the Royals: Live 1985′ digital album; watch full concert
- Video: INXS, ‘Don’t Change’ — featuring vocals by Kirk Pengilly, Andrew Farriss
- INXS enlists Ben Harper, Rob Thomas, Tricky to re-record hits for best-of
- Audio: Hear Ben Harper join INXS for new recording of 1987’s ‘Never Tear Us Apart’
- INXS re-enlists ‘Rock Star’ winner J.D. Fortune for gig at Australian auto race
- INXS releases ‘Platinum: Greatest Hits,’ new 42-track digital best-of, live album
Okay okay, I admit it….I liked it! Mellow to a fault, but very nice. Also, I think Bono is Irish. Just sayin’.
Keep making music, fine. But stop calling yourselves INXS. That train has left the station.
Hmmm, what was Bono doing on that Austrailian leg of U2360….
I agree, it sounds Bono/Edgesque. Could also be anyone from Andy White (Singer from Northern Ireland who has played with everyone from Sinead O’Connor to Peter Gabriel and now lives in Melbourne) or even Liam Ó Maonlai from Hothouse Flowers who spends a bit time in Australia.
I would love to know who is singing it. Part Andrew and obviously the other songwriter. Is it Fortune? Baritone is deep like Fortune’s but better. Has he given up the smokes?
Would I buy it? No. Would I listen to it a couple more times? Yep.