#k!1653

AND NOW REJOICE SOME MORE!

MENTAL HEALTH, NEW MUSIC AND, OF COURSE, COMIC BOOKS. IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE LAST HEARD FROM GERARD WAY, BUT WE’RE DELIGHTED TO SAY HE’S GOT MUCH TO TELL US…

Kerrang! (UK)

11 Jan 2017

GERARD WAY has revealed his plans for 2017 in an emotional blog post – and after a quiet 2016 on the music-front, we might be hearing new material before the year is out.

Gerard, who last posted a message to fans in October, has been busy of late working on a new Doom Patrol series with artist Nick Derington for his Young Animal imprint for DC Comics. In his latest missive, the former MCR frontman discloses his reasons for largely disappearing from the public eye and outlines his plans for the year ahead.

“I basically hit a point where I didn’t feel like I had anything constructive to contribute, so I made myself scarce,” writes Gerard.“i really needed to do some thinking and growing, and the last couple years have definitely been a journey of personal growth.after getting over a hump, I have been the most mentally healthy I could possibly be in a long time.

“But it did seem like something was always coming up, getting in the way of communication. Over the years, I just think this is how I operate – sometimes I’m around, and sometimes I’m not. I used to attribute the times when I was around to manic episodes, and then the times when I am gone to depressed phases, but I think it’s a little more basic than that. I think I just have a limit to how available I can make myself over long periods of time, especially when I’m learning things. so, I think my life will always be a series of disappearing and reappearing acts. I’m at peace with that.”

The only ‘new’ music fans have heard in the last year were two unreleased tracks from Gerard’s 2014 hesitant Alien sessions; the songs Don’t Try and Pinkish appeared on a seven-inch coloured vinyl as a Record store Day exclusive. he also released Into The Cave We Wander with Ray Toro as a super-limited cassette tape at Newyork Comic Con,as well as contributing vocals to Andy Biersack’s solo album The shadow side (as Andy Black).yet this fairly fallow musical period looks set to end, as Gerard prepares to build a home studio in order to “mine for the really hard to get diamonds”.

“I am always writing music and I’m about to convert a structure on our property into a recording studio,” he notes.“it actually won’t take a lot of work as the space is already pretty perfect: great drum sounds and church ceilings. I look forward to making some really weird stuff here.”

He adds that his new material may tie in with his artistic creations, too:“now that Young Animal is running well, it gives me more breathing room to make sounds, some of which may even be connected to the comics.”

For now, though, Gerard’s focus remains on completing the fourth volume of Doom Patrol and plans to revisit The Umbrella Academy series in the coming months. “We’re a little late at the moment with Doom Patrol, so I am doing my best to stay on top of things and Nick is working hard to make sure we can produce the best possible book for you guys,” he explains. “Through all of the work we still connect every day and fan the sparks of our ideas. The fire is very real there, and the thing that keeps us going and fighting hard is knowing that we have amazing things to share with you guys, so thank you so much for understanding that sometimes things take a little extra time. I have also been able to reengage with Umbrella Academy as I catch up on Doom. Doom Patrol is a monthly book, so sometimes it forces you to make it a priority, and Umbrella Academy is a series of miniarcs that come out when they are ready, so you can see the conflict there.” With new music, comic deadlines and a recently-announced appearance at Leeds’ Thought Bubble comic convention in the autumn, Gerard admits that he’s learning new ways of juggling his work-life balance – and knowing when to draw a line under a demanding project.“aside from working on myself mentally, I’ve also had to start adjusting to new ways of working, constantly striving to raise my output. I have always been detail-obsessed and perfectionoriented, so it takes a little learning to let things out into the world.you can only labour over something so long. I don’t think I’ve ever finished an album or a comic, they just come out when they have to.” so, after a fairly low-key year, prepare for all manner of activity from Gerard Way in the coming months.we’re only a couple of weeks into 2017 but it looks like his diary is fit to burst already. Brace yourselves.