Mike McCready, known for his work with PEARL JAM, TEMPLE OF THE DOG and MAD SEASON, has unveiled “Farewell To Seasons”, the title track from his upcoming “lost” rock opera, accompanied by an animated music video directed by Cyrus Entezam (SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SLIPKNOT).
The song serves as the first taste of “Mike McCready’s Farewell To Seasons”, a collection of 11 previously unreleased tracks written and recorded as an artistic artifact by David Williams, the fictional protagonist of McCready’s accompanying graphic novel. Scheduled for release on December 1, the project will be available in deluxe editions featuring both the graphic novel and a vinyl pressing, offering fans the chance to experience Williams’s story through both music and visuals.
Developed over the past 20 years, McCready’s story reflects the ambition, determination and strong sense of community that formed the backbone of Seattle’s music scene during the 1980s, before everything changed with the explosion of grunge in the ’90s. “Farewell To Seasons” takes an unflinching look at the heavy toll this transformation took on countless artists and musicians, capturing the highs and lows of a defining era. It’s a story of glory and heartbreak that ultimately raises an impossible question: was it all worth it?
McCready previously said: “I’m incredibly excited for my new graphic novel with Z2, ‘Farewell To Seasons’. It’s a story I’ve been developing for many years, inspired by the creativity, community, and chaos of the Seattle music scene. I’ve had a great time bringing this project to life with Z2, and I hope people enjoy the journey as much as I did creating it”.
Z2’s editor-in-chief Rantz A. Hoseley said: “Having been in the heart of the NW music scene as a journalist in the 1990s, I’ve wanted for years to work on a project that would reflect what it was actually like for the musicians and the fans when ‘the world came to Seattle.’ I can say, without any hyperbole or exaggeration, that I feel like my entire creative life has led to me being involved with this book, and I feel so blessed to be a part of bringing Mike’s beautiful and poignant story to the world”.
The graphic novel and rock opera will be released in two formats: a slip-cased, oversized 12″ x 12″ deluxe edition and a standard 9″ x 9″ edition. All versions of “Mike McCready’s Farewell To Seasons” are available to pre-order exclusively through Z2’s website, while the standard edition will also be available from Amazon, Waterstones, HMV, bookstores, record shops, online retailers and comic shops worldwide on December 1.
