Lynyrd Skynyrd is still going strong after five decades, and while they just dropped a new live album, there might be more music on the horizon. The band recently signed a new record deal and released Celebrating 50 Years – Live at the Ryman last Friday. The album and DVD capture their 2022 performance at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium—an especially meaningful show as it marked the final appearance of founding guitarist Gary Rossington before his passing. But according to frontman Johnny Van Zant, the door to a new studio album isn’t closed just yet.
In an interview with Classic Rock magazine, Van Zant shared that the band had been working toward a new album before Rossington’s health took a turn. “There are other songs written with Gary before he died that we could record,” he said. “We will leave that door open for the future.” While Skynyrd’s last studio album, Last of a Dyin’ Breed, came out in 2012, and their most recent single, The Last of the Street Survivors, dropped in 2020, the band’s focus remains on their powerful live performances. “For me, Skynyrd always made great records, but it was a live band, and that’s still true today,” Van Zant added.
Currently, Lynyrd Skynyrd is on tour in Europe. Reflecting on how the band has evolved since he joined in 1987, Van Zant noted, “It’s become more of a spiritual thing, and we never, ever phone it in.”
[Source: Premiere]