It’s been a minute since we heard from 5 Seconds of Summer — their most recent album came out in 2022 — but members Ashton Irwin and Luke Hemmings have released solo material as recently as last year. Now, it’s guitarist Michael Clifford’s turn.
Michael’s debut solo single, “cool,” is out now, and it’ll be followed by his first solo album SIDEQUEST — no release date yet. Michael co-wrote the song with bandmate Calum Hood and in a statement, he says, “My hope is that when fans hear the lyrics, they’ll understand me and hopefully themselves a little better.”
He adds, “I’ve been deliberating on this music long enough, so I can’t wait for everybody to hear it— and ‘cool’ is just the beginning of what’s to come. I want this project to make people smile. I’m just out here doing a bunch of sidequests. Now that I’m a dad, everything other than that feels like a sidequest!”
Michael and his wife Crystal welcomed their first child, daughter Lua Stevie Clifford, in October of 2023.
As for fans who wonder whether all the solo projects means the end of 5SOS, Luke told Rolling Stone in 2024, “I know solo projects can be scary for fans of bands, but for me it’s the way that the band can live on forever … and I encourage everyone else in the band to follow whatever they want to do — if they’re having time off, having a kid, mowing their lawn. Whatever makes you happy.”
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