Michael “Mike D” Diamond’s upcoming debut solo album, Thank You, marks the first full-length release from a Beastie Boys member since the group disbanded in 2012 following the death of Adam “MCA” Yauch. As it turns out, Mike’s surviving Beasties bandmate, Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, has also been creating music of his own.
In an interview with The New York Times, Horovitz says he has years of music stored on a laptop that he’s been working on on a near-daily basis. As for why he’s never released any of the material, Horovitz replies, “Good question.”
Diamond, meanwhile, tells the Times he started working on music following Yauch’s death, but would stop due to “grieving and sadness.”
“The easiest way to not feel that was to shut the computer down and walk away from it,” Diamond says. “It was too much for me to process to stay focused and creative.”
Diamond eventually started producing for other artists before deciding to give his own material another go.
“I shouldn’t be projecting my ideas onto any other artist,” Diamond recalls thinking. “I should be saving that for myself.”
Diamond was also helped in putting his own music together by his two sons, Davis Diamond and Skyler Diamond.
“I don’t know that Mike would have done this on his own,” Horovitz says. “We spent the bulk of our lifetime being in a band, a threesome that did everything together. And doing something on your own feels weird.”
He adds, “I think it’s great that Mike has recorded a record, especially with his kids. I think it is probably really helpful and healing to him.”
Thank You is due out Aug. 28.
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