Legendary prog rock band Jethro Tull is back with their latest album, Curious Ruminant, and frontman Ian Anderson says it’s his most personal work yet.
At 77, Anderson — the band’s iconic flautist and vocalist since 1967 — has taken a different approach to songwriting this time. Instead of crafting stories about others, he’s looked inward, sharing his own thoughts and feelings more than ever before.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz, he explained:
“This album has a lot more ‘I’ and ‘me’ in the lyrics, which is unusual for me. Usually, I write about he, she, or it. But this one is much more personal — though ironically, it’s still very much a band album, not a solo project.”
Curious Ruminant marks Jethro Tull’s third album in just three years, following RökFlöte (2023) and The Zealot Gene (2022). It’s the band’s 24th studio record — a journey that began back in 1968 with their debut, This Was.
The album’s final track, “Interim Sleep”, is especially heartfelt. It’s a spoken-word piece based on a poem Anderson wrote for someone dealing with loss.
He shared:
“The poem speaks from beyond, offering comfort and reminding the person that death isn’t the end — that they will be together again in another life.”
Anderson felt a soft, spoken delivery suited the message more than a traditional melody, adding:
“I wanted something quiet and intimate to close the album.”
Despite his vast catalog of songs, Anderson admits one thing he rarely writes about is love.
“I’ve never been great at writing love songs. My art school background taught me to paint pictures with words — I like to place people in a landscape and create a scene.”
Still, he acknowledges the power of love in music:
“Love songs make up 95% of all lyrics — from Shakespeare’s sonnets to today’s hits. Love, heartbreak, and human emotions will always inspire music.”
Curious Ruminant is out now, and fans can experience Jethro Tull live as they hit the road for their European tour starting in April, with dates running through December.
For tickets and tour info, visit Jethrotull.com.