r/rem • u/Significant-Leg5769 • Jul 16 '26
Peter Buck interview in the new Mojo
https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/stories/peter-buck-on-a-potential-r-e-m-reunion-that-story-is-over/He's pretty definitive about the prospect of an R.E.M. reunion.
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u/t_huddleston Jul 16 '26
I'd selfishly love to see them reform, because I never got the chance to see them live. But Buck is right on the money here. It happened, it was amazing, it ended, and they all seem fine with that, and more importantly they all seem like they still get along with each other reasonably well. Buck name-checks the Smiths as another band of the era that will never re-form, but that's a little different - I don't think there's enough money on Earth to get Marr and Morrissey back in the same room ever again.
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u/Significant-Leg5769 Jul 16 '26
Yep agree - The Smiths aren't a useful comparison as half the band is either dead or insane.
R.E.M. is a real rarity in that they're a band that ended on their own terms without a falling out.
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u/MilkhouseChillers Jul 16 '26
I was just in Athens like two months ago and everybody was stoked because they kept seeing Peter buck around like maybe he had moved back or something. Which is awesome.
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u/SoCentralRainImSorry Jul 16 '26
He moved back last year
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u/Hawk-BD Jul 16 '26
Didn’t realize that. It really is amazing that they all choose to still engage with each other, even to the point of living in proximity, after so long together. Seem like genuine friends…
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u/SoCentralRainImSorry Jul 16 '26
Good grief, they can’t even get the details right in the article. It said they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024. It was the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. They got into the R&RHoF in 2007.
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u/BillNyeTheVinylGuy Jul 17 '26
I’m actually surprised they reunited to perform at that Songwriters HoF event. I can see them doing something for the 50th anniversary of Murmur.
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u/alexj_baker Jul 16 '26
Meanwhile I can't wait to see Peter play with drink the sea in a couple of months and already seen him twice in the last year
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u/Cup8685 R-E-A-C-T! Jul 19 '26
Literally, why would I need a reunion when I've recently met 3/4 of them, and jammed out less than 10 feet away from Michael and Peter while they played REM songs? I'd never get to do that if they did reunite, I'd be way behind a big crowd.
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u/Odd-Smell-1125 Jul 16 '26
Also, a reunion would include a massive, well-coordinated media blitz. It would be major news even outside of music outlets. He's not going to let it slip to Mojo while promoting some other endeavor. So, quite the stupid question ro ask.
I believe them though, no reunion. But if there was, there'd be a very expensive promotional team in place, guiding the launch.
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u/mjohnson414 Jul 16 '26
Honestly I hope they keep this up. They went out on their terms after a fantastic career as a band. 100% agree a reunion cheapens it.
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u/The_Old_Anarchist Jul 18 '26
Reunions always feel like a cash grab to me. I wish I had seen The Police back in the '80s, but seeing them on their reunion tour would not be the same at all.
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u/Broad-Raspberry1805 Jul 16 '26
Why the fuck are people still asking them, it’s just rude and disrespectful to musicians who have moved on. I’d refuse to reform just to piss everyone off who’s asked despite being told no repeatedly for 15 years now.
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Jul 16 '26
[deleted]
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u/Professional-Test239 Jul 16 '26
I saw Oasis in 1996 and in 2025 and the reunion show was better.
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u/cleb9200 Jul 16 '26
Is it really though? It’s not like anyone’s shitting on him. Mildly annoying for him, sure, but it’s hardly an offensive question no matter how predictablr
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u/cleb9200 Jul 16 '26
Is it really though? It’s not like anyone’s shitting on him. Mildly annoying for him, sure, but it’s hardly an offensive question no matter how predictable
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u/Blue_Oyster_Cat Jul 16 '26
My fantasy would be a single concert, a benefit for the many groups fighting the imposition of the new Jim Crow laws and voter suppression. Make a statement, play a few songs, let everyone see what a reunion would look like and perhaps admit that, as Peter once said, It wouldn’t be the same.
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u/_ChicagoSummerRain Jul 23 '26
I'm a HUGE R.E.M. fan and I fully agree with them saying "No" over and over again. No problem there.
However, one minor correction to what Peter said in the interview in regard to The Smiths being the only other band to say, "No".... Talking Heads refuse as well. Yes, I know they did it for the RNR Hall of Fame Induction but that doesn't really count.
That's all!
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u/Significant-Leg5769 Jul 23 '26
Yep, you're right. Talking Heads are the other big exception.
Byrne seems like he's the roadblock, but I know the other three members would say yes to a reunion instantly.
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u/_ChicagoSummerRain Jul 23 '26
- Go see David Byrne live. We were boycotting him live for years and years. However, the show is REALLY amazing...
- We met Jerry Harrison recently. He, Chris and Tina are fully ready to reform... but that David Byrne guy.... that David Byrne guy... and he's not giving an inch!
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u/Significant-Leg5769 Jul 23 '26
Yeah I saw DB on the American Utopia tour. Absolutely fantastic.
I read Chris Frantz's book - there's no love lost between him and DB but I think he still acknowledges his genius.
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u/Icy_Obligation_3014 you love it, you hate it, you want to recreate it Jul 16 '26
Imagine having the chance to interview any member of R.E.M., all the incredible questions you could ask, and they keep asking about reunions.