Lou Gramm recently opened up about unreleased music and his relationship with longtime collaborator Mick Jones, sharing his thoughts in a statement published by American Songwriter.
Gramm explained that he and Jones still have a significant batch of unfinished material from their early 2000s writing sessions and expressed optimism about eventually completing it. “There’s almost a whole album’s worth of songs that Mick and I wrote in the early 2000s, and it’s some of our best stuff,” Gramm said. “It hasn’t been fully finished yet, but I hope it gets done.”
The former Foreigner singer also reflected on the strained relationship that once defined the pair’s dynamic. Their earlier conflict halted their creative partnership and ultimately prevented the release of the songs they had begun.
“I wish that Mick and I didn’t have that falling out years ago, ’cause we would have been playing right along, you know,” Gramm continued. “Probably there would have been a lot of good new material out, but things happen. It’s not the first time that kind of thing has happened.”
Gramm also addressed Mick Jones’s absence during Foreigner’s recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, voicing both regret and gratitude for the recognition. “I feel bad that he couldn’t have performed at the Rock Hall of Fame, but good enough that he’s certainly aware that we are in the Rock Hall now,” Gramm said. “I hope he feels great about it, because it has a lot to do with him.”
These remarks come at an important moment for Foreigner’s legacy. The band entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October 2024, a milestone that has renewed interest in their history and in the creative bond between Gramm and Jones, as highlighted by Ultimate Classic Rock.
The unreleased catalog Gramm mentioned appears to be extensive. Ultimate Metal reports that the pair wrote roughly 10 to 12 songs in the early 2000s that remain incomplete. Despite years of distance between the two musicians, indications of revived collaboration have surfaced. One example is “Turning Back the Time,” a track originally created in 1996 by Jones, Gramm, and Marti Frederiksen.
The song was revisited and reworked in 2024 and ultimately released as part of a comprehensive Foreigner collection timed with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, according to Frank Vermont—a release that hints at some level of renewed connection between the original members.
Gramm’s 2003 exit from Foreigner marked a major shift for the band, but recent developments suggest a possible return to unfinished business. The appearance of “Turning Back the Time” and Gramm’s involvement in the Hall of Fame festivities indicate that both he and Jones may be open to completing their shared body of unreleased work. Whether the remaining songs will eventually be finished is still uncertain, but Gramm’s recent comments make clear that he remains hopeful.
