As of January 2025, The Who have not officially announced plans to release a new album this year. The band’s two remaining original members, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, have expressed differing views on the prospect of new material.
In early 2024, Daltrey expressed skepticism about the value of producing new records, citing the underwhelming reception of their 2019 album, WHO. He stated, “We released an album four years ago, and it did nothing. It’s a great album too, but there isn’t the interest out there for new music these days. People want to hear the old music.” That’s disappointing for Who fans as the album was great and probably better than many fans expected . Daltrey starts a UK tour in a couple of months and I am looking forward to seeing the show at the Hydro in Glasgow .
Conversely, Townshend has shown enthusiasm for creating new music. In an October 2024 interview, he mentioned meeting with Daltrey and expressed a desire to work together in 2025. He said, “We’re both getting a bit creaky, but we will definitely do something next year.” Regarding a new album, Townshend noted, “Roger’s not keen. But I would love to do another album and I may try to bully him on that.” Townshend earlier said he had an album’s worth of lyricds and was keen to go into the studio and make a new album .
Despite these discussions, no concrete plans for a new album have been confirmed. The band’s focus appears to be on live performances, with Townshend indicating a preference for returning to a rawer format without orchestral accompaniment. He stated, “The last big tours that we’ve done have been with a full orchestra, which was glorious, but we’re now eager to make a noise and make a mess and make mistakes.”
In summary, while Townshend is open to the idea of recording new material, Daltrey remains hesitant, and no official plans for a new album in 2025 have been announced. Fans may look forward to potential live performances, but should temper expectations regarding new studio releases.