Phil Collins has hinted that he may not be finished making music, revealing that he hopes to spend time experimenting in the studio after what he described as a “difficult, frustrating few years”.
In a rare conversation with Zoe Ball for BBC Two’s Phil Collins: Eras – In Conversation, the music legend – who is approaching his 75th birthday – opened up about the possibility of creating new material.
He said: “The things that are ahead for me would be, apart from just being back to being totally mobile and healthy, is go in there and have a fiddle about and see if there’s more music ’cause you know, you tend to sort of feel, that’s it, I’ve done that. But you’ve gotta start doing it to see if you can do it. Otherwise, you don’t do it. So that is something on my horizon.”
It comes after the In The Air Tonight hitmaker battled through five knee surgeries on top of his existing health issues.
There were even rumours that he was receiving end of life hospice care, which were quickly debunked by his representative last summer.
When Ball encouraged him to return to the studio, Collins admitted he still has unfinished ideas waiting to be explored.
He said: “I’ve got some things that are half formed or were never finished, and a couple of things that were finished, which I like, so you know. Maybe life in the old dog. Yeah. You’ll see.”
The former Genesis frontman retired from touring after his final live performance in 2022. His decision followed years of health struggles stemming from a severe spinal injury in 2007, which damaged vertebrae in his upper neck and left him with lasting nerve issues. He previously told fans he could “barely hold a drumstick”.
He told Zoe: “You know, I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do. I’ve had challenges with my knee… I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.”
Reflecting on the physical limitations that forced him to step away from drumming, Collins admitted the adjustment has taken its toll emotionally.
He said: “It’s still kind of sinking in.
“I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”
Still, he hasn’t ruled out a return if his health allows.
He added: “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything. But if I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I’ll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I’ve used up my air miles.”
The full episode will debut on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer at 6am on January 26 and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday, February 1 between 00:00 and 12:30am). Episodes one – four are already available on BBC Sounds.