The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce has announced his autobiography. The Drums offers a frontline view of the band’s story from “the self-confessed biggest Smiths fan in the world,” as the product description puts it. “His off-piste, frank and witty perspective allows him to re-contextualise fan favourite moments through a beautifully vulnerable, human insight into his life.” The Drums is due for release on November 6.
New Modern, an imprint of HMV owner Doug Putman’s new Putman Publishing house, is behind the publication. Beyond international postage, details of a North American release have not been revealed.
In 2013, Morrissey published the first Smiths memoir, the slightly notorious Autobiography, which he managed to get released via the august imprint Penguin Classics. Johnny Marr followed suit with Set the Boy Free in 2016.
Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, who played alongside Joyce with Sinéad O’Connor after the band’s dissolution, died of pancreatic cancer in 2023.