"Meanwhile" is the twenty-second solo studio album by Eric Clapton, released on 4 October 2024 through Bushbranch Records/Surfdog Records. The album includes six new tracks along with eight songs that Clapton had previously released as singles, starting in 2020. These singles include collaborations with artists like Van Morrison and Jeff Beck. This album marks Clapton's first non-holiday studio release since I Still Do in 2016, and his first full studio album since Happy Xmas in 2018.
The album was produced by Clapton's frequent collaborator Simon Climie, who has worked with Clapton on various projects over the years. In addition to producing, Climie also appears as a featured artist on the track "How Could We Know." Clapton has described the album as a mix of "slightly political comments" alongside more traditional song-oriented material, reflecting the range of themes he has explored in his recent solo output.
The album is largely composed of singles Clapton released over the past few years, starting with "Stand and Deliver," "The Rebels," and "This Has Gotta Stop." These three tracks were collaborations with Van Morrison, released under the moniker Slowhand & Van. They were notably controversial at the time for their anti-mask, anti-lockdown, and anti-vaccine sentiments, which emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The second track, "Where Have All the Rebels Gone?," was a duet between Clapton and Morrison from Morrison's Latest Record Project, Volume 1.
Another key single, "Heart of a Child," was co-written by Clapton and Italian architect Robin Monotti Graziadei, and was released on Christmas Eve in 2021. Clapton and Graziadei also co-wrote "Pompous Fool," which came out in July 2022. Some listeners speculated that this song was a commentary on the resignation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a figure Clapton had publicly criticized in the past.
In 2023, Clapton collaborated with Jeff Beck on a cover of the classic song "Moon River," which was released shortly after Beck's passing in January 2023. The cover was also released as a double A-side vinyl single, paired with "How Could We Know," a track featuring Judith Hill, Simon Climie, and Daniel Santiago. Later in 2023, Clapton teamed up with Bradley Walker to cover Willie Nelson's famous hit "Always on My Mind" in honor of Nelson’s 90th birthday.
Clapton first revealed the details of Meanwhile during an interview in May 2024, including its release date in the autumn of that year. On 20 September 2024, the album was officially announced, with the release of the new track "One Woman" alongside the announcement. The album also premiered five unreleased songs between 23 and 27 September 2024, with each song being aired daily on Sirius XM Radio’s Deep Tracks channel.
Meanwhile is set to be released digitally on 4 October 2024, with physical vinyl and CD versions slated for release on 24 January 2025.
