R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe is planning to release his debut solo album soon.

The 66-year-old singer has only released a handful of tracks in his own name since the Losing My Religion rockers split amicably in 2011 but has revealed that he is putting the finishing touches to his own LP after several delays.

Michael told The Sunday Times newspaper: "I'm working on a solo album. But it's taken longer than I wanted."

The Everybody Hurts artist continued: "Covid didn't help, but I'm finishing it. When the band split, I just needed a break. I took five years but I got pulled back into music. It's been a struggle.

"That's the main thing. I want it to be great, but I've got the pressure of having been in R.E.M., and it's a high bar, because I want this to be as good as that, and that's near impossible.

"So it's f****** exciting but also terrifying, and I'm doing the music for the first time too, and I think I'm good at it but not great.

"But I love my voice. I don't like my speaking voice but I love my singing voice, and so I want to immerse myself back into offering music to the world."

Meanwhile, Stipe feels that his songwriting offers an "escape hatch" for listeners as there is a sense of optimism even in R.E.M.'s bleaker songs.

He said: "There is always hope in my writing. I am an optimist, ultimately - even if it's a realisation in one's last breath that they blew it. At least they are aware they blew it. To move through a life not recognising one's mistakes or regrets is pretty sad."

Michael is also grateful that he is able to separate his personal life from his music.

He said: "Well, an ability to separate oneself from one's work is essential, to step back and not convince yourself you're brilliant all the time.

"It allows me to not be a raging a*******, egomaniacal crazy person, because I was a pop star with a lot of light for most of my adult life.

"A lot of people don't emerge intact from that. But I feel quite grounded - I feel quite intact."