Billy Idol releases moody Bitter Taste single

12 August 2021

Billy Idol has released his first new music in seven years. The single Bitter Taste comes from the former Generation X man's upcoming Roadside EP, which will be released on September 17.

An atmospheric affair, Bitter Taste finds Idol in contemplative mood, looking back at how how his life has changed since the 1990 motorbike accident in which he almost lost a leg.

“I think everyone has been feeling more reflective during the pandemic," says Idol. "So, it seemed quite logical and natural to write something about my motorcycle accident. Certainly, the motorcycle accident was the catharsis, the wake-up moment. A little bit of me got left on that roadside. But it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in the end; it was a wake-up call.

"Maybe on that roadside I left behind the irreverent youthful Billy and opened the door for a more attentive father and a more sensitive musician."

The Roadside EP was produced by Butch Walker, who's previously worked with the likes of GREEN DAY, FALL OUT BOY and WEEZER, and features Idol’s longtime lead guitarist and co-writer Steve Stevens.

It's released via Dark Horse Records, the label set up by former Beatle George Harrison in 1974 after Apple Records was wound down. The label is now run by Harrison's son Dhani and music business veteran David Zonshine.