REM‘s first interview as a group in 30 years will air on CBS tomorrow (June 13).
The quartet – frontman Michael Stipe, drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills – have come together to speak about their induction into the Songwriters’ Hall Of Fame.
In a clip shared to CBS’ social media accounts, the band are asked what it means to them to have their songwriting recognised in such a way.
“We lived and died on the strength of our songs, so this is a huge honour,” said Buck.
“it is the hardest thing that we do and it’s the thing that we’ve worked on most from the very beginning,” added Mills.
“Because we had to. I mean really early on, just to put food on the table we had to write songs as fast as we could,” said Berry.
In their first group interview in nearly 30 years, all four original members of R.E.M. tell @AnthonyMasonCBS about crafting their enduring catalog, ahead of their induction into the @SongwritersHOF.
Their exclusive conversation airs tomorrow on CBS Mornings. pic.twitter.com/Vesa9vTiWJ
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 12, 2024
In February, REM surprised fans by reuniting during a tribute gig celebrating their classic debut album ‘Murmur’ in their hometown of Athens, Georgia.
The 460-capacity space was hosting the latest show of actor Michael Shannon and musician Jason Narducy’s current tour – which sees the pair play 1983’s ‘Murmur’ in full along with a handful of their favourite R.E.M. songs.
Video and photos have since emerged of Stipe and co. on stage at the event. In one fan-shot clip, the frontman tells the excited audience: “Speaking on behalf of Bill and Mike and Peter, we are so fucking thrilled to be here tonight.”
R.E.M. broke up in 2011 after 31 years together. Berry had previously departed the band in 1997, with Stipe, Buck, and Mills continuing as a trio. The drummer reunited with the group a handful of times in the ’00s, including a performance at the Georgia Theatre in Athens in 2006.
Last December, Mills revealed that there are “plenty of vault songs” yet to be released from R.E.M.’s catalogue.
In 2022, however, Buck reaffirmed that the band’s split was permanent after Stipe confirmed the previous year that they would “never reunite”.