Paul McCartney will complete his trilogy of home-recorded solo albums by releasing McCartney III on December 11, via Capitol Records.

The follow-up to 1970’s McCartney and 1980’s McCartney II was written, performed and produced by Paul McCartney alone at his Sussex home studio during lockdown this year.

“I was living lockdown life on my farm with my family and I would go to my studio every day,” says McCartney. “I had to do a little bit of work on some film music and that turned into the opening track and then when it was done I thought what will I do next? I had some stuff I’d worked on over the years but sometimes time would run out and it would be left half-finished so I started thinking about what I had.

“Each day I’d start recording with the instrument I wrote the song on and then gradually layer it all up, it was a lot of fun. It was about making music for yourself rather than making music that has to do a job. So, I just did stuff I fancied doing. I had no idea this would end up as an album.”

The instruments featured on the album include Bill Black (of Elvis Presley’s original trio)’s double bass alongside McCartney’s own iconic Hofner violin bass, and a mellotron from Abbey Road Studios used on Beatles recordings.

In keeping with McCartney and McCartney II’s photography by Linda McCartney, the principal photos for III were shot by Paul’s daughter Mary McCartney, with additional photography by his nephew Sonny McCartney. The cover art and typography is by American artist Ed Ruscha. Watch the album trailer below:

McCartney III will be released on December 11 across digital platforms, on CD, and on LP manufactured by Third Man Pressing. You’ll be able to read much more about McCartney III in the next issue of Uncut, out on November 12…