Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson
Not a big 75th birthday party
Ian Anderson has been a permanent member of Jethro Tull since the 1960s.
© Will Ireland Photography
Jethro Tull release a new album. Ian Anderson explains why the time was right and how he’s celebrating his 75th birthday.
Ian Anderson (74) is internationally known as the frontman of the British rock band Jethro Tull. The band hasn’t released an album in 19 years. Meanwhile, Ian Anderson stood alone and in other formations on stage and in the recording studio. The new Jethro Tull album “The Zealot Gene” will be released on January 28th. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, the Brit reveals how the new long player came about and how he will spend his 75th birthday in August. In addition, the singer tells how he deals with his chronic lung disease in the corona pandemic and how often he still travels by air.
19 years have passed since the last Jethro Tull album. Why did you want to release new music again now?
Ian Anderson: Maybe the 2014 album Homo Erraticus should have been a Tull album. It was then written as a full rock band album with the musicians who have been playing with me for many years. They have played hundreds of concerts of Jethro Tull’s repertoire but have never featured on a Jethro Tull album. So I decided that now was the time.
Many artists who worked on an album during the Corona pandemic were able to invest more time and thus created particularly diverse pieces. Is that also the case with your album?
Anderson: No – all the songs were written in 2017 and seven of them were recorded at that time. The last five songs were recorded in April last year (in a wave of the pandemic) and maybe that’s why they’re even better. The acoustic feel of these tracks gives the album more variety and sonic depth. There are more dynamics and a different instrumentation. Who would have thought that my harmonica would be heard again? Or the accordion?
The music industry is constantly changing. How do you assess the development that vinyls are back in fashion? How do you listen to music yourself?
Anderson: I don’t hear any! I’ve never been a huge music listener since the mid 70’s. Usually I deal with my own music. When I listen to music, it’s in a digital format. I no longer have a turntable or a CD player. People want vinyls to keep. We offer all formats and preferences. It’s great that music fans everywhere can choose from it.
In August you celebrate your 75th birthday. Will there be a big party? How will you spend the day?
Anderson: Under the bed. I am not sociable and have never liked parties. A quiet time with my cats and a curry to go are enough for me.
How do you look back on your life so far? Are you content?
Anderson: No. But I’m not dissatisfied either. I am very fortunate and grateful to be in good health and to have been successful on my own terms. I could have done some things differently or better, but it’s too late for that now!
What are you most grateful for in your life?
Anderson: For my health and my success, which I could determine myself. And a good wife, a nice house and no car! I use public transport.
You suffer from a lung disease. How are you surviving the corona pandemic?
Anderson: Careful and even more careful when I’m touring. So far so good. But at some point it comes to an end.
In the 1990s you suffered a thrombosis on a long flight. Do you still travel frequently by plane?
Anderson: Yes – I have to, but the risk is little or non-existent now that it’s been so long. At least not on short-haul flights. I don’t think I’ll be going to Australia again. Sitting in one place for 12 hours is the highest for me. I prefer 20 minutes!
The year 2022 has only just begun. What are your wishes for the coming months?
Anderson: Successful concert tours in a difficult time. We have many concerts planned and I can only hope that they will go ahead as planned. Also, I’ve been working on a new album project since January 1st, which will take some time to finish writing and start recording in two months.