Van Morrison has today shared his brand new single ‘Cutting Corners’, the latest taste of his forthcoming album ‘Remembering Now’, due for release on June 13. The track made its premiere earlier today on BBC Radio 2, introduced by Mark Goodier sitting in for Scott Mills.
‘Cutting Corners’ follows last month’s release of ‘Down To Joy’, both of which set the tone for ‘Remembering Now’, Morrison’s first full collection of original material since 2022. It follows the warmly received covers projects ‘Moving On Skiffle’ and ‘Accentuate The Positive’, and marks a triumphant return to the kind of unclassifiable, genre-blurring songwriting that has defined the Belfast bard’s career.
Tapping into the cosmic soul-jazz-folk-country-blues cocktail he’s mastered over decades, Morrison is once again doing what only he can: conjuring music that feels both timeless and untethered. Lyrically, he’s reaching into personal archives—there are nods to youthful stomping grounds, wistful reflections, and echoes of his greatest romantic reveries.
Across ‘Remembering Now’, fans will find all the hallmarks of vintage Van. There’s the wide-eyed yearning of ‘Once In A Lifetime Feelings’, the bruised honesty of ‘The Only Love I Ever Need Is Yours’, and a splash of lyrical déjà vu in ‘When the Rains Came’, which nods knowingly to ‘Brown Eyed Girl’. The title track and ‘Stomping Ground’ drop specific references to locations that shaped the man behind the myth.
Instrumentally, Morrison remains a triple threat—voice, guitar, and sax—while his long-time band delivers with their usual warmth and intuition: Richard Dunn (Hammond organ), Stuart McIlroy (piano), Pete Hurley (bass), and Colin Griffin (drums, percussion), all of whom have been part of the fold since ‘Three Chords and the Truth’.
String arrangements come courtesy of Fiachra Trench, whose resume includes work with Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello and whose Van Morrison credentials stretch back to 1989’s ‘Avalon Sunset’. The strings themselves are performed by the Fews Ensemble, led by Joanne Quigley. Elsewhere, contributions from spiritual leader Michael Beckwith, lyricist Don Black, and folk star Seth Lakeman add further depth to what’s shaping up to be a rich, collaborative affair.
‘Remembering Now’ is available to pre-order now and will be released across multiple formats: black double-vinyl, limited edition orange double-vinyl, CD, cassette and digital.
Whether you’ve followed Van Morrison since the days of ‘Astral Weeks’ or discovered him through his more recent reinventions, ‘Remembering Now’ looks set to be a poignant, powerful new chapter in a truly singular career.
