New Radicals have officially announced that they are disbanding with singer Gregg Alexander returning to producing and songwriting.
New Radicals were supposed to play their first ever UK show at London W1 ULU on may 17 but cancelled without any explanation. They had just had a hit with ‘You Get What You Give’ and were enjoying a wave of critical acclaim for their album ‘Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too’.
A press release gives Gregg Alexander‘s reasons for quitting.
“It was an experience playing the artist, but I accomplished most of my goals with this record, and I’m ready to move on and take the next step in my career,” he said in the statement. “I’ve been writing songs for and working with artists as varied as R & B acts to Belinda Carlisle intermittently for the last nine years, and I’m looking forward to returning to the day-to-day creative process as well as building a successful production company. I view myself much the same as a just getting started Babyface or Matthew Wilder (No Doubt producer), who dabbled in performing, but found their real calling was being a producer.”
“I’m going to be turning 30 next year, and realise that travelling and getting three hours sleep in a different hotel every night to do ‘hanging and schmoozing’ with radio and retail people, is definitely not for me . . . now I can do what I do best.”
“The next record I have coming out as a producer/co-writer is an album by an artist named Danielle Brisebois that will be out in September on RCA/BMG. She’s a fantastic singer who, while a member of the New Radicals (as well as someone involved in many community causes and issues), was the one behind much of that band’s ‘point of view’ and image. Now that it’s disbanded, several of the ex New Rads touring members will be playing and touring with her full time. Which will be good, because I’m more interested in being ‘the next Mutt Lange‘ than a performer. Over the last several months, I’d lost interest in fronting a ‘One Hit Wonder’ to the point that I was wearing a hat while performing so that people wouldn’t see my lack of enthusiasm, I am, however, excited and looking forward to getting started on working in the studio with a wide range of artists and making some good records. So although there will be no more albums, videos (besides the two made) or any album worthy outtakes from the band or me solo, as a producer there will be a lot more good music coming.”