It was revealed yesterday by The Sun that a track released earlier this month (February 11^th) by a group known as Lufthaus featured Williams on vocals. It’s all been very hush-hush, with this being the group’s debut single. Titled “Sway“, the track has been described by NME as “a club-ready house banger“, with it “unmistakably [being] Williams’ voice on the track“.

Despite all the secrecy, we know this; the group is a trio, with Williams being flanked by long-term collaborators Tim Metcalfe and Flynn Francis. And the good news is that they’re not gonna stop there either. The group say that “This project has been keeping us busy in the studio throughout the pandemic, so we’re delighted to now be releasing the first single. We’ve purposely kept Lufthaus unrevealed, so we’re looking forward to releasing more music and revealing more material over the coming months.“

Of course, not telling people about this one track wasn’t enough to keep Williams out of the news completely. Aside from revealing that he was once targeted by a hitman back in the height of his fame, Williams has also been making big ventures into the world of art.

Fellow ‘lover of secrecy’ Banksy will be having some of his works sold by Williams, with an estimated value of around £10 million pounds being presented at Sotheby’s The Now Evening Auction next March 2^nd. Among these includes his famous Kissing Coppers, a work which was originally found on The Prince Albert Pub in East Sussex. Williams is also offering his Girl With Balloon and Vandalised Oils (Choppers), the latter of which shows helicopters ruining a pastoral scene.

If you prefer actually knowing the artist’s full name before investing in their work, don’t despair. The likes of Magritte and Picasso will also be on offer, with Magritte’s L’Empire des Lumieres expected to go for over £45 million.

If Lufthaus and secret dance tracks aren’t your style, you could always try seeing the man in real life. A list of live performance dates can be seen here, with a performance in Stoke-on-Trent’s Vale Park Stadium on June 4th.

‘It’s a song about what we’ve been missing, that sense of coming together, and how ready I am to get back to it,’ he said about his single, ‘The last year has been incredibly difficult and frustrating for everyone, not least the people who work and revel in live music.’ He then talked about identity, which for him was the biggest thing about the whole lockdown experience: ‘I am the guy who tours, this is who I’ve been since I was sixteen. This is the longest period of time I’ve slept in the same bed continuously since I was seven.’

Frank Turner was particularly active during lockdowns. By playing virtual shows from his living room to save UK grassroots venues, he managed to raise over £250,000, being of fundamental help to many venues which might not have survived the pandemic. Taking place during the summer, it is still unsure whether the shows will be running at full capacity or with social distancing, but Turner claims that the shows are designed to be versatile to overcome any obstacle: ‘At a time when the pandemic has wreaked havoc all across the live music industry, I feel like it’s important to get back to the basics – playing live music to entertain a crowd. This summer, with Xtra Mile and friends, I’m taking the punk approach – do it yourself, find a way. I can’t wait.’

 UK tour dates for this summer can be found below:

19/06/2021 – The Big Sheep – Bideford
20/06 – The Big Sheep – Bideford
26/06 – Cheese & Grain – Frome
27/06 – Cheese & Grain – Frome
8/07 – Top Rope Brewery – Liverpool
17/07 – Guildhall – Gloucester
18/07 – Guildhall – Gloucester
21/08 – Urmston Sports Club – Manchester
3/09 – Zebedees Yard – Hull