Peter Gabriel is releasing a new album, “o/i,” later this year via Real World (the exact release date is TBA). Now he has shared its latest single, “Looking for the Happy.” Similar to his 2023 album, i/o, each single from the album will be released on days with full moons and there will be “Bright-Side” and “Dark-Side” mixes for each song on the album. This is the “Bright-Side Mix” of “Looking for the Happy.” Listen below, followed by a behind-the-scenes video about the song.
Gabriel had this to say about the song in a press release: “I’ve always found it so much easier to write sad songs than happy ones and I thought, right, I’m going to challenge myself here. I wanted to base it on a groove that made dancing irresistible, it felt like it was unleashing some joy. Although this is about the search for happiness, it had to have a chorus feeling like a celebration.
“If you can find what in today, in the now, is making you happy and what you’re grateful for, I think it’s a much better ride—a better vehicle to travel in—and as I get older, I’m trying to do a little less bitching.
“In the song I’m talking about trying to communicate with animals or connecting with nature, or sitting under the old oak tree with a cup of tea and appreciating that. The simple things—opening up to what’s good, while we’re busy complaining about what’s bad.
“Trying to get a handle on where you fit in life, that’s part of what I write about a lot. Also getting comfortable with two contradictory ideas simultaneously has been part of growing old—like being a part of everything and a part of nothing.”
“This was one of those songs that began with a groove, originally a groove with a Latin flavour. The groove is always so important to me, if I don’t feel it in my body, then everything is a whole lot harder. There are obviously songs I write which are not groove based, but this is one where it clearly helped shape the song. I’m always happy once the groove is kicking, it suggests where to go and makes it easy to play through and explore different ideas. Then I can take one look around the studio at any time and see happy faces everywhere and I think—this is why I play music.”
As with i/o,for each single from the album, Gabriel will be working with a different artist to do the cover artwork. The artwork for “Looking for the Happy” is “Closed Circuit II” by Tishan Hsu.
Gabriel further explains: “I’ve only recently come across Tishan Hsu’s work and I was blown away. I thought it had a childlike simplicity in one sense, like Miro or Paul Klee, but it has all these technological references.
“In the way that the song was trying to explore consciousness, technology and nature I think Tishan does that in some of his own work. Although the work is about tech it’s interesting that the work itself is not really technology-based—it is very traditional painting and sculptural techniques that he’s employing.
“I started looking at a work from 1986 which is called Closed Circuit II, and although it has been compared to the original Instagram logo it was created a long time before that. It’s simple and it has face references but it’s blank and full of feeling at the same time. I think it’s a great, great image and I’m very happy Tishan is letting us use it.
“Often when we see these images for the songs, we’re reacting spontaneously to something that feels right and then we dig down and discover that there are similar themes being explored visually and musically. In this case, it was apparently the exploration of technology nature and humanity. It’s great when you find that something that intuitively felt right also has all these other connections that help to make the music and the art feel part of the same whole. In a way, you’re all trying to peel the orange and open up the same fruit.”
The new album was recorded at Real World Studios, Bath and The Beehive in London. Tchad Blake and Mark ‘Spike’ Stent will be mixing all the songs, taking on the Dark-Side and Bright-Side
Previously Gabriel shared the album’s first single, “Been Undone,” the “Dark-Side” mix of the song. Then he shared its second single, “Put the Bucket Down,” Then he shared its third single, “What Lies Ahead.” Then he shared its fourth single, “Till Your Mind is Shining,” “A Hard Lesson” was the album’s next single. “I Belong to the Sky” was another single from the album . “Won’t Stand Down” and “One by One” were other singles from the album.
I/o was his first album of original songs in over 20 years. Prior to i/o, Gabriel’s last full-length album of original materials was 2002’s “Up”, although in 2010 he released the “Scratch My Back” covers album and in 2011 he released “New Blood“, which featured orchestral re-recordings of songs from across Gabriel’s career.
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