Phil Collins Says a Working Basement Studio Has Him Rethinking Retirement and Touring Again
Phil Collins says his second Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction has him thinking again about recording and even returning to the road.
Phil Collins had been talking like someone nearing the end of a long career. Now, as another Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction approaches, he says the pull of music and live performance has started to return. For fans of Collins' solo years and Genesis era alike, the change is simple: he is no longer treating retirement as a closed subject.
Collins will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist on Nov. 14, giving him a second place in the Hall after his 2010 induction with Genesis. In a video for the Hall, he said the recognition felt like something he never expected to receive, and described it as a welcome acknowledgment of his work.
He also said the timing hit him in a particular way. Collins turned 75 this year, and said the honor arrived at a moment when everything seemed to be lining up with the idea of retirement. He said he was thrilled when he learned he was part of this year's class.
Why he is talking about the road again
What changed is that the Hall of Fame moment appears to have stirred fresh thoughts about what he may still want to do. Collins said he has a fully working studio in the basement of his house, along with ideas, completed material and songs that are only partly finished. He said that has put him back in a place where he feels he could do it.
He also acknowledged the appeal of staying off the treadmill of recording and performing. But after a lifetime onstage, he said stepping away completely is difficult. Collins said he never likes to say never, and that from time to time he does think about touring again.
He added one practical note. A return would not make sense on the scale of only a handful of concerts, because, as he put it, that would not be financially practical. Even so, he said those thoughts keep leading him back to the same conclusion: he does not feel finished.
His last concert, and what comes next
Collins' most recent concert was on March 26, 2022, at London's O2 Arena, the final date of Genesis' farewell tour. At that show, he sang while seated throughout the performance because severe nerve damage, back problems and hip issues kept him from playing drums.
He also said the Hall of Fame honor feels like a beautiful way to end things, and said that time away from music has given him more time with his family. Collins called the last two or three years especially meaningful for both him and his children, and said it would be special for them to watch their father accept the award.
