There's good Talking Heads news and there's bad Talking Heads news
The Talking Heads are never getting back together... like ever
While it seemed for a second that we might actually be heading for a once-in-a-lifetime Talking Heads reunion, it’s increasingly apparent that the four Heads won’t be making new music or playing old music together any time soon. David Byrne previously admitted to People that he acted like “a little tyrant” before the band’s “ugly” breakup in 1991, and it seems no amount of time, acclaim, or money will ever be able to un-burn that house.
To the last point, Live Nation reportedly offered Byrne and his former bandmates—Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison—a whopping $80 million to headline a measly little six to eight festivals, a sum they ultimately turned down (per Billboard). This comes after festival curator Paul Tollett reportedly also discussed a Coachella headlining slot with the band—a gig that would have come with an up to $10 million payout—but left empty-handed after he “sensed there were no shows happening.”
So why all this renewed hope for a resurgence of the new wave icons? It’s not just because giant suits are back in style. (Although they are back in style, at least according to fashion icons Pete Wentz and Patrick Stump at the 2023 VMAs… don’t fight us on this one, please.) The band did stage an unprecedented semi-reunion this past September in honor of the TIFF world premiere of A24's 4k restoration of their legendary concert film, Stop Making Sense. The vibes at the Q&A, moderated by Spike Lee, were surprisingly un-frosty—especially considering that this was all four members’ first time sharing a stage since they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
“We’re all united in the fact that we really love what we did here. So that kind of helps us talk to one another and get along,” Byrne told The New York Times the week of the premiere. Still, while cordiality is nice and all, Byrne’s use of past tense is hard to miss. It looks like any real reunion effort is still traveling on a road to nowhere.
The good news
Despite all this, Talking Heads fans shouldn’t despair completely. There’s still some new(ish) music coming out of A24's release, even if it’s not actually new and not actually sung by the Talking Heads. The studio is also releasing a cover album called Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense, which will feature 16 tracks from the concert’s setlist sung by 16 different artists, as revealed today on Instagram. Those artists include Paramore, Lorde, Miley Cyrus, The National, BADBADNOTGOOD, Blondshell, Chicano Batman Feat. Money Mark, DJ Tunez, El Mató a un Policía Motorizado, girl in red, Jean Dawson, Kevin Abstract, The Linda Lindas, Teezo Touchdown, Toro y Moi, and The Cavemen.
While the full tracklist is yet to be announced, Paramore released their cover of “Burning Down The House” today (complete with an obligatory large suited promo reel), and… it rocks. Unsurprisingly. If this is how the album is kicking off, it might turn into a whole lot more than a mere consolation prize.