GW EXCLUSIVE: Police Writing New Songs

Police guitarist Andy Summers has told Guitar World that the recently reunited group began writing new songs while in rehearsal for their current world tour. And apparently, the songs were complete enough for the group to consider performing them live onstage.

However, says Summers, “we were actually instructed not to do new material on the tour. People don’t want it. When you do a so-called reunion tour, what people essentially want to hear is the hits.”

Still, the guitarist tells Guitar World not to rule out an album of new Police material “next year or something.” It would be the first new album from the group — which includes bassist Sting and drummer Stewart Copeland — since their 1983 studio swan song, Synchronicity.

Meanwhile, Summers is releasing a collaborative album with classical guitarist Benjamin Verdery titled First You Build a Cloud, which will be available as a download in the States and on Real Artist records in Europe. He has also just released his third photography book, I’ll Be Watching You: Inside the Police 1980–83, a deluxe coffee table volume published by Taschen.

Read the complete story in Guitar World’s October 2007 issue, on sale July 25.