R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe made a rare television appearance on Thursday's The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, performing his brand-new solo song "The Rest Of Ever" live for the first time. Backed by Louis Cato and The Great Big Joy Machine, Stipe delivered a soulful, mature ballad that evokes the slower, huskier moments of R.E.M.'s Monster era. The track finds Stipe addressing a loved one with a deeply resonant voice, showcasing the evolution of his vocal style.
Stipe has been working on his debut solo album for several years, recently admitting it has taken "longer than I wanted." However, he confirmed that the record is now in its final stages and is expected to drop later this year. During the Colbert interview, he offered a characteristically cryptic description of the album's sound: "One of the songs is the sound of a tree hearing itself for the first time… My friend recorded a tree in my backyard in Georgia and played it back to itself, so it sounds like Daft Punk, but I’m putting a sea shanty in the song."
Watch the performance below.