Michael Stipe is actively engaged in new musical projects, performing R.E.M.'s 'E-Bow The Letter' with The National, releasing his debut solo album featuring the track 'Hum Desiderata,' and collaborating with Andrew Watt on the HBO series 'Rooster' theme 'I Played the Fool,' which he also performed live on 'The Jimmy Kimmel Show.' He has also joined Brandi Carlile in covering Elvis Presley at the Gansett Games and continues to be celebrated by peers like Thom Yorke, who cited Stipe's advice as pivotal.