Aside from the track he worked on with frontman Brandon Flowers, the 'Born to Run' hitmaker also talks about using the COVID-19 shutdown to contribute to John Mellencamp's next project.
- Jun 11, 2021
AceShowbiz - Bruce Springsteen has been "staying busy" in the recording studio during the COVID-19 shutdown by collaborating with The Killers and John Mellencamp.
The "Born to Run" icon teased the new material during a chat on Sirius XM's E Street Radio, revealing the track he worked on with The Killers and frontman Brandon Flowers is due to drop within days.
"It's [Brandon] and I with the band, we have done something that is going to come out soon, in a week or so," he shared. "I've been staying busy."
During the unexpected downtime, the New Jersey-based star also traveled to Indiana to contribute to Mellencamp's next project.
"I worked on three songs on John's album and I spent some time in Indiana with him," Springsteen said. "I love John a lot. He's a great songwriter and I have become very close and had a lot of fun with him. I sang a little bit on his record."
The rocker is also helping to reopen New York City's theater district with a limited run of his smash hit Springsteen on Broadway solo shows, starting later this month (June 2021).
"I am looking forward to being in front of an audience," he told hosts Dave Marsh and Jim Rotolo. "It's going to be quite a thing. I'm actually glad to be working."
However, the singer admits he was hesitant about reviving the intimate gigs, because he was already making plans to hopefully get back on the road with the E Street Band next year (2022).
"[Manager] Jon [Landau] mentioned it to me," he recalled. "I knew we were going to tour with the band next year, so I said, 'Maybe I'll take the time off.' "
It wasn't until one of Springsteen's pals convinced him the Broadway concerts were just what fans needed after the COVID-19 crisis that he reconsidered.
"I had a friend who got so enthusiastic about it to me that he talked me into it sitting on my couch one night," he said. "The next day I said, 'OK, we'll do some shows.' It really came around kind of casually. It will be just nice to be back there again [and] lend a hand."
Springsteen will return to Broadway on June 26 for a run at the St. James Theater, which will continue until early September.
He originally launched the sold-out residency in October 2017, running until December 2018. The set was inspired by a reading of his memoir, "Born to Run", at the White House for former U.S. President Barack Obama.
