Patti Smith named the new R.E.M. album

The iconic punk singer appears on ‘Collapse Into Now’s closing track, ‘Blue’ and it was when she came to the record her vocals for the album that she suggested the title to rest of the band.

Guitarist Peter Buck said: “Naming the thing is always the hardest. Patti was looking at the lyric sheet and she said, ‘how about ‘Collapse Into Now’?’ So Patti named it and you gotta go with what Patti says.”

‘Collapse Into Now’ is the group’s 20th album but Peter insists their enthusiasm for making music is still as strong as it was when they first started out.

He told Q magazine: “I think it’s as good as anything we’ve ever done. We’ve never made a record that has 12 songs as good as this. I don’t think we’ve been as excited by a record in 20 years.”

‘Collapse Into Now’ will be released in April next year.