The Guess Who will drop their new album, Plein D’Amour, on Friday, June 30. The album title translates to “full of love,” and lead singer Derek Sharp tells ABC Audio it just made sense to give it that name.
“That’s really what the whole album is about,” he shares. “The whole album is really about, you know, coming together.”
Sharp says the band was inspired to get back in the studio after having a year off due to COVID-19. “We had a new member in the band that really loved the songs that we had,” he says, referring to guitarist Michael Staertow. Sharp says he and original member Garry Peterson had always planned to keep “the new music going,” sharing, “I think the fact that everybody was into it was part of the reason” they made the album.
For Garry, one of the best parts of making Plein D’Amour was being able to get back into the studio with all his bandmates. “It was a great experience to get back to the old way that we used to record, and I think that's reflective in the sound of the album and just the whole feel,” he says.
In addition to the new music, The Guess Who are still on the road. After almost 60 years with the band, seeing fans enjoy their music is exactly what keeps Peterson motivated to continue.
“You know, we're musicians, we play for people,” he says. “And that's really what keeps you wanting to do this ... I've always said it's like a drug to be able to make people feel good and feel happy.”
Plein D’Amour is available for preorder now. A complete list of The Guess Who tour dates can be found at theguesswho.com.