The catsuit-clad rock icon will give fans an early taste of his new material at a special hometown performance
Justin Hawkins is preparing to step away from The Darkness โ temporarily, donโt panic โ and take centre stage under his own name with the release of his debut solo album in 2027.
The flamboyant frontman, guitarist and owner of one of the most recognisable falsettos in British rock has revealed that work is underway on his first full-length solo record.
Better still, Hawkins wonโt be keeping the new songs locked inside the studio until next year. He plans to perform some of the material during a special solo concert in Suffolk next month.
Yes, folks. The Hawkins solo era is officially preparing for lift-off. ๐
๐ค New Songs to Receive Their Live Debut
Hawkins announced the news while promoting an upcoming performance at The Lodge in Corton, Suffolk, on Saturday 22 August 2026.
The show is expected to offer fans their first opportunity to hear material from the forthcoming record, making it much more than a standard evening of familiar favourites and brilliantly unpredictable stage banter.
It will be an early glimpse at what Justin Hawkins sounds like when operating entirely under his own name โ without the established expectations surrounding The Darkness.
Although the albumโs title, track listing and exact release date have yet to be announced, confirmation that new songs are already ready for the stage suggests the project is moving along nicely.
For those attending the Corton performance, it could become one of those glorious โI heard it before everybody elseโ moments.
Try not to mention it every five minutes afterwards.
Actually, forget that. Mention it constantly.
๐ค A Solo Album That Has Been a Long Time Coming
It might seem surprising that Hawkins has never released a full solo studio album before.
Since exploding into the mainstream with The Darknessโ gigantic 2003 debut, Permission to Land, he has become one of the most distinctive characters in modern British rock.
That album delivered massive tracks including โI Believe in a Thing Called Love,โ โGrowing on Me,โ โLove Is Only a Feelingโ and โGet Your Hands Off My Woman.โ
The combination of enormous guitar riffs, theatrical vocals, catsuits, moustaches and unapologetic rock excess made The Darkness impossible to ignore.
More than two decades later, Hawkins remains a brilliantly entertaining performer capable of mixing serious musicianship with wonderfully daft rock โnโ roll spectacle.
Away from The Darkness, he has also collaborated with other musicians, worked as a producer and built a sizeable following through his Justin Hawkins Rides Again online platform.
The video series and live shows have allowed Hawkins to discuss songwriting, vocal technique, the music business and the strange world of celebrity with his trademark mixture of wit and honesty.
His previous one-man performances blended music-industry insight, storytelling, audience interaction and live music rather than operating as traditional rock concerts.
A full solo album, however, represents something different.
This time, the spotlight will be firmly on a brand-new collection of songs.
๐ถ What Will the Album Sound Like?
Thatโs the big question, butt.
The Darkness have always pulled from a wide range of influences, combining classic rock, glam, heavy metal, pop, prog and arena-sized power balladry.
Behind all the costumes and comedy, Hawkins has consistently demonstrated a sharp ear for melody and an impressive understanding of what makes a proper rock song work.
A solo album could therefore head in several directions.
It might contain towering guitar anthems, theatrical Queen-style arrangements and choruses built for festival fields.
Equally, it could offer something more personal and stripped back, allowing Hawkins to explore ideas that might not naturally fit beneath The Darkness banner.
There could be acoustic moments, piano-led ballads, experimental detours or songs packed with the sort of gloriously excessive guitar solos that make sensible people shake their heads while the rest of us turn the volume up.
The only safe prediction is that it probably wonโt be boring.
Justin Hawkins doesnโt really do boring.
โก Does This Mean Trouble for The Darkness?
There is currently no reason to believe the solo album signals the end of The Darkness.
Artists regularly use solo projects to explore different sounds while continuing to work with their main bands. In Hawkinsโ case, the record appears to be another creative outlet rather than a dramatic departure from the group that made him famous.
The Darkness remain a major part of his musical life, and Hawkins continues to perform as the bandโs frontman, lead guitarist and chief provider of airborne stage poses.
A solo release simply provides him with an opportunity to create something carrying his name alone.
That creative freedom could result in one of the most fascinating rock albums of 2027.
๐บ From Lowestoft to Rock Royalty
Hawkins formed The Darkness in Lowestoft with his brother Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Ed Graham.
Their rise was spectacular.
At a time when British guitar music was largely dominated by indie bands attempting to look as miserable as possible, The Darkness arrived dressed like escaped glam-rock superheroes.
They were loud, colourful and completely unashamed of their love for classic rock.
Their debut album became a huge commercial success, while โI Believe in a Thing Called Loveโ turned into one of the defining British rock singles of the early 2000s.
The bandโs popularity may have risen and fallen over the years, but their reputation as a formidable live act has remained intact.
Hawkinsโ vocals, guitar playing and magnetic stage presence have always been central to that appeal.
Now, after years of fronting one of Britainโs most entertaining rock bands, he is finally preparing to show listeners what a complete Justin Hawkins solo record sounds like.
๐ฅ The Riff Report Verdict
A Justin Hawkins solo album feels both surprising and completely inevitable.
Surprising because, after more than two decades in the public eye, he has somehow never released one before.
Inevitable because Hawkins has always appeared to possess far too many musical ideas, opinions and creative impulses to keep everything contained within one band.
The chance to hear some of the material live in Suffolk on 22 August 2026 makes the announcement even more exciting.
Those attending wonโt merely be watching another Justin Hawkins performance. They could be witnessing the first chapter of an entirely new era.
Will the album deliver enormous riffs, ridiculous vocal acrobatics and enough theatrical swagger to power the National Grid?
We certainly hope so.
One thing is already clear: 2027 just became considerably more fabulous.
Are you excited to hear Justin Hawkinsโ debut solo album? Let us know what youโre hoping for from the record โ huge rock anthems, emotional ballads or something completely unexpected.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Zero Apologies. ๐ค๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ
