Buzzcocks' Steve Diggle Preps First True Solo Album

Buzzcocks co-singer and guitarist Steve Diggle will release his fist bona fide LP this spring. Though Diggle formed Flag of Convenience after the Buzzcocks split in the early '80s and his solo band includes current Buzzcocks member Chris Remington on bass, the record, 'Air Conditioning,' is the first full-length released under Diggle's own name.

"It'll be under my name, because I thought I've been Buzzcocks, I've been Flag of Convenience -- another name would just confuse people," Diggle tells Spinner. "Plus, if anyone leaves this band, I'm still in, because I'm it."

What with non-stop Buzzcocks activity since the proto pop-punk band reformed in 1989, it's been hard for Diggle to make music on the side. "We are a hard touring band," he says. But then, it's also been hard for the Buzzcocks to get a new album down, too. "We've been gathering material for that. We didn't have time last year. We'll have some time off in a few months to start recording a new album. That might be at the end of this year, so it'll probably be released next year."

Realistically, Diggle thinks 'Air Conditioning' should be out in full in April. In the meantime, there's a downloadable single, 'Hey Maria,' and several tracks streaming on his MySpace site.

"I started the record at the beginning of last year before the Buzzcocks started the tour," he says. "I had four songs to go, but it's taken a whole year to get back to them. It's weird picking up after a year and finishing it off, but it's sounding good. I'm pleased with it."