Johnny Marr, one of the most celebrated and influential guitarists in the history of contemporary music, will release his first ever solo album, The Messenger, on February 26 via Sire/ADA. The 12-song set captures Marr’s musical vision exactly as he imagined, featuring his signature guitar and vocals front and center with a sound which mixes elements of angular art rock and rock n’ roll.
The release of The Messenger marks a significant milestone in Marr’s distinguished career. First known for his work alongside Morrissey as the creative force behind The Smiths, Marr has spent the last two decades collaborating with a diverse array of acclaimed bands, including Talking Heads, Pet Shop Boys, The The, Electronic and more. Marr was a member of the Modest Mouse line-up for 2007’s We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. Similarly, Marr joined The Cribs when they hit the Top 10 with their 2009 release Ignore The Ignorant. Throughout this time, Marr earned recognition as one of the greatest guitar players of all time from such outlets as Rolling Stone and SPIN. With The Messenger, Marr continues to evolve as he steps into the spotlight for the first true solo album of his career.
The Messenger was written and produced by Marr himself. Based in Portland, Oregon since 2005, Marr returned to the U.K. in early 2012 to commence work on the album. Recorded in Manchester and Berlin, it was mastered at Abbey Road by Frank Artwright who recently collaborated with Marr on the remastering work for The Smiths’ box set Complete.