Lou Gramm of Foreigner to Drop New Solo Album March 27
Lou Gramm doesn’t need your validation. He never did. The man who gave Foreigner its soul – the voice behind “I Want to Know What Love Is,” “Urgent,” “Cold as Ice,” and “Hot Blooded” – is back with a new solo album, and it sounds like he’s truly been saving the best for last.
Lou Gramm’s “Released”
“Released,” due March 27, 2026, is exactly what its title suggests: a liberation. Ten songs that have been sitting in the vault since the 1980s, finally seeing the light of day. And if the second single, “Long Hard Look,” is any indication, fans are in for something really special.
What “Long Hard Look” Actually Sounds Like
This definitely isn’t a nostalgia cash-grab. “Long Hard Look” is a brooding, mid-tempo rock anthem that hits with the kind of muscular weight that made arena rock worth caring about in the first place. There’s soaring lead guitar from Alex Garcia, a thunderous rhythm section with Tony Franklin on bass and Ben Gramm on drums, and then there’s singer Gramm. That voice. Still incredibly commanding. Still emotionally razor-sharp.
The track builds slowly, deliberately, from a shadowed, introspective opening into a sweeping chorus that practically demands to be sung back at a concert stage. Written alongside longtime collaborator and former Black Sheep bandmate Bruce Turgon, the song carries both defiance and vulnerability in equal measure – which has always been Gramm’s superpower.
Gramm isn’t a man going through the motions. This is a man settling a score with unfinished business.
The Story Behind Lou Gramm’s New Album “Released”
“Released” isn’t a collection of brand-new recordings. These songs were originally captured during the sessions surrounding Gramm’s earlier solo releases “Ready Or Not” (1987) and “Lon Hard Look”(1989). They didn’t make the cut back then, not because they were weak, but because albums only hold so many tracks and something always gets left behind.
Gramm’s son Matthew was the one who pushed this idea forward, asking his father how many extras existed from those sessions. The answer, it turns out, was plenty – and we’re glad.
Per Blabbermouth, Gramm stated in part:
“When I pulled these songs out of the vault, I knew I had to finish them for my fans around the world…It means a lot to me to finally see this album released, to be taken back in time when I hear this music again, to remember working with all these great musicians, and to feel that my catalog is now complete.”
That last part matters. Complete. There’s something very humanizing about a musician who spent decades knowing there were unfinished chapters sitting in a tape closet, waiting.
Why This Lou Gramm Album Deserves Your Full Attention
Gramm was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 alongside Foreigner – a recognition that was, frankly, long overdue. But rather than rest on that milestone, he went back to work finishing what he started thirty-plus years ago.
The album was produced by Gramm himself, with his son Matthew serving as associate producer. The guest list is no joke either: Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard appears on guitar for the opening track “Young Love,” and Tony Franklin handles bass duties on “Long Gone.” These aren’t filler appearances – they’re musicians who understand the weight of what they’re contributing to.
The recordings preserve the warmth and analog grit of the original sessions while benefiting from modern clarity. That balance is actually harder to pull off than it sounds. Too much polish and you lose the soul. Too little and it sounds unfinished. Gramm and his team clearly understood what was at stake.
Released Full Track Listing
- Young Love
- Lightning Strikes
- Walk The Walk
- Long Gone
- Heart And Soul
- Long Hard Look
- True Blue Love (Unplugged)
- Deeper Side of Love
- Time Heals The Pain
- Word Gets Around
The album arrives on CD via HNE Recordings and Cherry Red Records, on limited-edition Ruby Red vinyl through Friday Music, and digitally – including a Dolby Atmos version – via Rhino Records.
Lou Gramm Is Touring in 2026, Too
Beyond the album, Gramm will be hitting the road throughout 2026 with both solo dates and special appearances alongside Foreigner. He’s already set to perform at the 70s Rock & Romance festival cruise running March 21 to 28 – which, timing-wise, lines up almost perfectly with the album’s release date.
For a 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee to be this active, this creatively engaged, and this committed to giving fans something real rather than something recycled – that says everything about who singer Gramm is as an artist. “Released” drops March 27, 2026. Pre-order it now if you know what’s good for you.
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