All four members of Talking Heads co-created a 400-page coffee-table book due May 18, 2027, Pitchfork, Consequence and Rolling Stone report.
Talking Heads have announced Talking Heads: New Feeling, a coffee-table book put together by all four members of the band. Pitchfork, Consequence and Rolling Stone each reported the news on Wednesday. It is due May 18, 2027, from publisher Abrams Books, timed to the 50th anniversary of the band's debut album, Talking Heads: 77.
What is in the book
David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison announced the project in a joint video posted by the publisher. Consequence describes it as the first authorized book created by the entire band. It runs to 400 pages and brings together hundreds of photographs, handwritten lyrics, early album artwork and original essays from each member.
"For this book, we pulled out handwritten lyrics, original album sketches, and private photos, some of which haven't left our archive in over 40 years," Harrison said in the announcement, according to all three outlets. Among the handwritten lyrics are those for "Psycho Killer" and "Life During Wartime," Consequence and Rolling Stone report. Pitchfork adds that Lorde, Debbie Harry, Karl Ove Knausgaard and Jeff Bridges are among the contributors.
The book follows the band from the Rhode Island School of Design to CBGB and international success. Rolling Stone quotes Frantz summing it up as the story of "three art students who met at the Rhode Island School of Design and found their way to C.B.G.B." The book also covers the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense, which returned to theaters in 2023.
Editions and price
Consequence lists a standard hardcover at $65, a collector's edition at $150 and a limited edition at $350. The latter two include a 19-piece wooden puzzle built into the cover of a deluxe box. The limited edition also comes with a reproduction of a Mick Rock photograph signed by all four members. Eric Skillman designed the book, and pre-orders are open.
A busy month for the band
The book is the latest in a run of band-related releases. Per Pitchfork, a super-deluxe reissue of Fear of Music arrives November 13 on Rhino, with alternate versions, studio outtakes and two previously unreleased concert recordings. It coincides with the launch of a SiriusXM station for the band. Consequence says the group reunited in September for a conversation moderated by Este Haim ahead of that launch.
Consequence is clear that Talking Heads have not resumed making music together. The four have increasingly appeared together since the 2023 restoration of Stop Making Sense, but for now their reunion is on the page rather than the stage.
Picture credit: Abrams Books (book cover). Design: Savvy VibeZ
