The curious reason that prevents Robert Plant from composing new songs these days

Robert Plant hasn’t released an album of his own compositions in 7 years. The most recent work in the format, Carry Firecame out in October 2017. Raise the Roofrecorded with Alison Krauss and made available in 2021, it features practically only re-recordings — just one song, “High and Lonesome”it is indeed new.

And the creative hiatus is likely to take even longer. In an interview with Rolling Stone USAthe eternal vocalist of Led Zeppelin He said he can no longer compose. He also presented a curious reason for this.

The matter was addressed after Krauss, who also participated in the interview, said that he was recently in the studio recording new material. The singer defined the process as “tedious”.

When invited to share your current stage in this regard, Plant revealed that, lately, he has been revisiting old material. After all, the 75-year-old star certainly has many songs that were not properly completed — or even were, but ended up not being released.

“I have a group of friends that I play with a little from time to time. I’ve also been going through all those songs I never released and never finished. And I’m excited about that. Like, ‘Wow, what am I going to do with this?’. There are places I’ve been musically that weren’t complete.”

When directly asked if he is creating new songs, Robert he said he has even made some melody records.

“I have a digital recorder Tascam, I sing, I put the vocals on a guitar pedal and record there. It looks great. Why bother going to the studio?”

The problem is in the creation of the letters. And he blames the current period for the lack of creativity.

“But I can’t find words. This is a very difficult time to try to be lyrical out there.”

Robert Plant and retirement

Not having anything to write in song lyrics is far from being a reason to Robert Plant retire. The vocalist has a busy schedule of shows for 2024, alongside Alison Krauss.

Asked if he intends to hang up his boots in the near future, the singer declared no. When explaining why, he mentioned:

“The camaraderie, the things you share on stage and the weaknesses you know you carry with you silently, putting yourself out there… are things I would hate to say ‘goodbye’ to. I can’t just sit still.”

Finally, he seems to have found a solution to the lack of creativity in conceiving new verses — old compositions. And he even joked that as long as there are effects to “disguise” imperfections in his (incredible) voice, he will continue to be active.

“Just today, I was taking out all my lyric books and thinking: ‘I have to get my rhythm back, I have something to say’. So yeah, I’ll keep going – as long as they have effects machines that make me sound good [risos]. Well, it worked for Elvis! Listen to his voice compression on some of those great 1957 ballads.”