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Patty Smyth, the voice behind hits like “The Warrior,” “Goodbye to You” and “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough,” has been out of the spotlight for decades — but now she’s back.
On October 9, the former frontwoman of the ’80s band Scandal will release her first album of new, original music in 28 years. It’s called It’s About Time, and Smyth is well aware how fitting the title is.
“People would always ask, ‘When are you gonna give us new music?’ I kept saying, ‘I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it…’ Finally I said, ‘F*** it, man. I’ve just got to do it!'”
“I’ve been touring and playing shows with the same band for 12 years, just having a blast, and I finally went into the zone of writing these songs I felt were poignant and relevant for me,” she adds. “I started to realize this is a real thing that’s happening and just went with it.”
You can listen now to Smyth’s new single, “Drive,” and watch the video.
In addition to six new songs that Smyth wrote, the disc also includes two covers: Bobbie Gentry‘s “Ode to Billie Joe” and Tom Waits‘ “Downtown Train.”
Smyth has been married to tennis legend John McEnroe since 1997. They have two daughters but also raised McEnroe’s three children with his ex, Tatum O’Neal, and Smyth’s daughter, Ruby, from her first marriage to punk icon Richard Hell.
Speaking to Stereogum, Smyth says, “The only thing to say about this record is, it’s taken me too long to make it and I’m not going to wait so long again…I feel bad that I stayed away from recording for so long…I’m not even sure what happened. But I’m ready to rock.”
By Andrea Dresdale
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