Electric Light Orchestra Sign With Columbia, Announce First New Album In 14 Years

It's been nearly half a century since British band-leader, producer, songwriter, arranger, frontman and guitarist Jeff Lynne brought together the many-headed musical beast that was the original Electric Light Orchestra, but that doesn't mean that he's anywhere close to running out of steam.

In fact, so capable of new tricks is this old dog that the band is, against all odds, re-emerging into popular consciousness with a new global label deal, album and a slightly retwigged name — or, so says the announcement heralding the signing of Jeff Lynne's ELO to esteemed label Columbia Records, ahead of their first new studio full-length since 2001's Zoom.

According to a statement on Lynne's website, the new ELO record comes in the wake of a successful outing at last September's Festival In A Day in London's Hyde Park, which saw the band play to 50,000 in attendance and "nearly a million" via broadcast. 

Although little is known about the album aside from the looming shift in moniker (perhaps to more freely accommodate shifting line-ups; as it is, Lynne and long-time member Richard Tandy are the only players now considered 'full-time' ELO), it promises to "remain true" to Lynne's age-old ideal of creating "modern rock and pop songs".

Granted, the make-up of what constitutes "modern pop and rock" has shifted somewhat since ELO's salad days, but consider us appropriately jazzed to at least hear Lynne out and see what the re-imagined outfit come up with when their new album does drop at last — whenever that may be.  

Ed note: An earlier version of this story erroneously identified Richard Tandy as Richard Shandy. This has been corrected.