Legendary rock icon Billy Idol has shared a number of exciting updates, courtesy of Variety. Idol shared that a documentary is being filmed with Grammy-winning Swedish music director Jonas Akerlund, who is most widely known for his work on Madonna’s Ray of Light.
Idol also confirmed that he will be releasing a new EP, Cage, in September. The project is arriving courtesy of Dhani Harrison’s Dark Horse Records. A single is set to be released tomorrow, August 17. Regarding the collaboration, Harrison shared, “My dad was a Billy Idol fan. One time we were watching Beavis and Butt-head and they played ‘Dancing with Myself,’ and I remember my dad loving Billy and Beavis and Butt-head.” Additionally, Idol has an upcoming European tour with Television opening, and the resumption of a Las Vegas residency in late fall.
“These new songs are celebratory because Steve and I are enjoying ourselves,” said Billy to Variety. “It’s kind of wild to still be making music we’re excited about.”
“We both grew up on The Beatles,” adds Stevens in that same interview, “where every song and album were completely different. Billy and I both see music as a bit of a journey. There’s a method to our madness, but at the same time, we throw away the formula and try other approaches. There are no rules. It’s just two guys with acoustic guitars and let’s see what we got.”
When Idol and his band toured at the end of 2021, they were accompanied by the director Akerlund, who then came up with the idea of doing an Idol documentary. The film, which is being produced by Live Nation, came to Akerlund after reading his 2015 biography, Dancing With Myself, and listening to Idol’s own audiobook narration.
“I told Billy, ‘This is a film… We need to tell this story,’” says Akerlund in that same Variety feature. “What incredible timing Billy has had in his career. He was there when punk-rock happened in London, then moved to New York just as MTV was exploding, and now he’s in Los Angeles. I personally love his story, the incredible events in his life. And the music has touched so many people.”