The band’s team took to Twitter, writing “Duran Duran are thrilled to confirm a special new music project is in the works, set for release later this year on BMG.”

They continued, “The new recordings will feature extended Duran Duran family and friends, old and new, including our former band mate Andy Taylor who will join us on guitar on a few tracks.”

Duran Duran are set to begin their “Future Past” tour next month, with the Twitter post concluding, “Simon, Nick, John and Roger look forward to seeing you all out on the road this year!”

pic.twitter.com/BqBoWZ7a6x

— Duran Duran (@duranduran) March 20, 2023

This project will be the first time that Duran Duran have worked with their original guitarist, Andy Taylor, since his departure from the band back in 2006.

Andy Taylor was intending to reunite with the band when they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year. However, his ongoing struggle with prostate cancer meant that this was unable to happen.

Speaking to 5 News about his diagnosis, Andy said, “You really wanna get the most out of life.”

“I’ve been very fortunate, I’ve had so much, in terms of living the dream, but because I do music, I think that’s probably really helped me to live with pessimism of an incurable disease.”

Andy wrote an emotional letter celebrating his time in the band when the news of their induction broke, saying, “You can dream about what happened to us but to experience it, on one’s own terms, as mates, was beyond incredible. I would like to thank each of my brothers in this great band.”

Following Andy’s withdrawal from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, Duran Duran bassist John Taylor spoke to The Mirror, saying, “When he dropped the bomb two days before the Hall of Fame, it was really shocking and terribly sad. We’re working on an album right now that is going to be coming out at the end of the year and he’s playing guitar.”

Revealing more about what’s to be expected from this upcoming project, John continued, “Had he come to LA and just gone on the TV show, we probably wouldn’t have even thought about it. That [the album] happened as a result of this. There’s a lot of cover songs on the album, songs meaningful to us when we were kids. So having him be a part of that project is great.”

John briefly spoke about the recording process for the new project, sharing, “Le Bon is flying to Ibiza to work with Andy. I kind of wish I was there. I think it’ll be great. It’ll be really profound for them. They haven’t been in the studio together in maybe 10 to 20 years.”

Both Duran Duran and Andy seem happy to leave their infamous rift in the past, with Andy writing “Now for the bad blood, well the good news is that there is none, just pure love and respect for everything we wrote, recorded and achieved together. What’s the point? There’s no stopping this 44-year thing called ‘Duran Duran.'”

Purchase tickets for the “Future Past” tour here.

29/04/2023 – AO Arena – Manchester

01/05/2023 – The O2 – London

02/05/2023 – The O2 – London

04/05/2023 – First Direct Arena – Leeds

05/05/2023 – Utilita Arena Birmingham – Birmingham

07/05/2023 – 3Arena – Dublin

09/05/2023 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow

Stream Duran Duran’s discography here.

Hynde herself was inducted into the Hall of Fame back in 2005 as part of The Pretenders, but has since taken to social media to decry its relevance. She stated, “I don’t even wanna be associated with it. It’s just more establishment backslapping.”

She continued, “Other than Neil Young’s participation in the induction process, the whole thing was, and is, total bollocks. It’s absolutely nothing to do with rock ‘n’ roll and anyone who thinks it is is a fool.”

Despite being inducted back in 2005, Hynde seems to have always viewed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in a negative light.

In her Facebook post, she stated, “I got in a band so I didn’t have to be part of all that. I was living a happy life in Rio when I got the call I was being inducted. My heart sank because I knew I’d have to go back for it as it would be too much of a kick in the teeth to my parents if I didn’t. I’d upset them enough by then, so it was one of those things that would bail me out from years of disappointing them. ( like moving out of the USA and being arrested at PETA protests and my general personality ).”

This discussion was sparked after Courtney Love called for more female acts to be inducted. Love shared her outrage at the lack of diversity on social media, telling the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to “GO TO HELL IN A HANDBAG BRO!”

@rockhall GO TO HELL IN A HANDBAG BRO!

I wrote this for the @guardian https://t.co/sjpCeYcqyY

— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023

Love, the lead singer of grunge band Hole, subsequently wrote an article for The Guardian in which she highlighted that “barely 8% of its inductees are female. The canon-making doesn’t just reek of sexist gatekeeping, but also purposeful ignorance and hostility.”

She continued, “the nominations for this year’s class, announced last month, offered the annual reminder of just how extraordinary a woman must be to make it into the ol’ boy’s club.”

Love also drew attention to the fact that “it doesn’t look good for black artists either.” “If the Rock Hall is not willing to look at the ways it is replicating the violence of structural racism and sexism that artists face in the music industry, if it cannot properly honour what visionary women artists have created, innovated, revolutionised and contributed to popular music – well, then let it go to hell in a handbag.”

Love responded to Chrissie Hynde’s Facebook post on Twitter, writing “principals b4 personalities!”

ARTISTS! Beef off the table. Principals b4 personalities! @chrissiehynde (blew my world into a rainbow in 79 #GOAT ) TBC. I would not accept, don’t need! @rockhall. BRO it isn’t 4 me I speak. THAT BOARD NEEDS A HOSE DOWN so women & poc can FEED THEIR KIDS. Not just Bon Jovi pic.twitter.com/LVJpPUa1g6 — Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023

Love has continued her tyrade on social media, claiming she was previously “silenced by boos” when she has previously tried to speak her mind.

BRO! @billboard

Me @rockhall HOLDING MY TONGUE.

When I went to speak? I was silenced by boos… So, yeah. pic.twitter.com/2mHdeuNSF7

— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 17, 2023

Hynde and Love have both been met with varying receptions from fans after sharing their controversial standpoints.

The Pretenders are rumoured to be releasing a new album this year titled Relentless with the release date yet to be confirmed.

See The Pretenders at Midnight Sun Weekender Festival. Tickets available here.