Roger Taylor has released a new duet with KT Tunstall.
The Queen drummer is set to release his first solo album in eight years, ‘Outsider’, on October 1, and the iconic sticksman has given fans a taste of what’s to come with the beautiful ballad, ‘We’re All Just Trying to Get By’, featuring the Scottish singer’s instantly-recognisable raspy blues vocals.
The 72-year-old rocker recorded the moving track, which is described as a “hymn to simple pleasures and universal emotions”, amid the global pandemic, and the ‘Suddenly I See’ hitmaker was a last-minute addition.
He said: “I tried to highlight the great things in life.
“It’s the simplest statement really. It’s what every life force on Earth is doing: just trying to get by and proliferate and exist. That’s all we are trying to do, from plants to animals to humans, trying to survive. For all our troubles and everything, every sort of life is all just trying to get by. Also, of course, we are in the middle of a bloody pandemic… I mean, even the Coronavirus is just trying to get by too!”
KT added: “It was the coolest surprise Roger getting in touch during lockdown and asking me to lend my vocals to this great and meaningful song. What a pleasure to work with such a brilliant writer and musical hero.”
Roger was blown away by KT’s work and has hailed her as the original pioneer of the loop pedal technique Ed Sheeran popularised.
He added: “The track was all finished and it was suggested it might be nice if we got KT involved.
“I love what she did, I think it really adds to the track. And she’s very clever. I think people forget that she was really the pioneer as far as I know of looping, the looping technique which obviously Ed Sheeran is brilliant at and has made very popular. But I remember her doing it, what, 15 years ago? Fantastic. She’s a very talented singer and musician and it’s lovely to have her on the track. It’s a very nice partnership.”
Roger and his band are also set to embark on a 14-date UK tour in October, which will see him perform tracks from his solo repertoire and Queen classics.
The musician released his debut album, ‘Fun in Space’, in 1981, and ‘Outsider’ will be his sixth solo record.
‘We’re All Just Trying to Get By’ is available to stream or download now.