David Byrne says reuniting Talking Heads would be “a fool’s errand”
David Byrne has once again dismissed the idea of a full-blown Talking Heads reunion, saying that the task would be “a fool’s errand”.
The music icon opened up about the prospect of a comeback during a new interview with The Times, reflecting on 50 years since the band first formed and the hopes fans have that they will get back together following their split in 1991.
Hopes of a reunion got new momentum in June, when the band teased a huge announcement. This, however, ended up being the first ever music video for their iconic hit ‘Psycho Killer’, which starred Saoirse Ronan.
Talking Heads have not performed together since 1984, and while they had a brief reunion in 2023, they have consistently denied rumours of a full-blown comeback for years now. Some reports even said that the members rejected an offer of $80million (£59.2million) from Live Nation to get back on the road.
Speaking to The Times about why the members aren’t interested in pursuing the idea, Byrne said: “On a practical level, trying to recreate the feeling that people had when they were in their early 20s? The time that they first heard that music? That’s a fool’s errand. And besides, I’m really enjoying what I’m doing.”
The latter part refers to how he is gearing up to release his first new solo album in seven years, ‘Who Is The Sky?’. It is set for release on September 5 via Matador Records, and available for pre-order here.
He has also teamed up with Hayley Williams lately for a new song, which has been written for the latest adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Twits.
While hopes of a reunion have emerged this year – both with it being 50 years of their formation and with the new video for ‘Psycho Killer’ – rumours of a comeback have gone on for years now. They also got momentum last year when the band announced a deluxe edition of their iconic live album ‘Stop Making Sense’ in celebration of its 40th anniversary, and then came together for a slot on the US game show Jeopardy! –presenting questions in their own category.
Dismissing those appearances as merely promotional duties, Byrne told The Times: “We were on TV together and people went, ‘Well, they all seem to be getting along,” he said, before putting a dampener on the fans’ hopes, “But no, I don’t think so.”
The comments in the latest interview come following Byrne dismissing hopes again in another interview with Rolling Stone last week. There, he said a live reunion is off the cards, but did say that he would play some reworked Talking Heads songs in his upcoming solo live shows.
“I can mix and match and have it adapt to the sound that I’m doing at the moment without completely destroying the integrity of the older songs,” he said. “But I’m also aware that there’s a real trap. If you do too much of the older material, you become a legacy act that comes out and plays the old hits. You cash in really quick, but then you’ve dug yourself a hole.”
Byrne’s upcoming solo album is produced by Kid Harpoon (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus), and features St. Vincent, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, and The Smile drummer Tom Skinner.
The 12 songs from the LP were all arranged by the New York City-based orchestra Ghost Train Orchestra, whom Byrne enlisted after discovering their 2023 tribute album to the blind New York composer and street poet Moondog.
To celebrate the release, Byrne will embark on a worldwide tour, kicking off dates in the US in September, before calling at the UK in March 2026. Any remaining US tickets can be purchased here, and UK tickets here.
The post David Byrne says reuniting Talking Heads would be “a fool’s errand” appeared first on NME.
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