Ringo Starr Son Zak Starkey admits he “avoided” Beatles kids collaboration for fear of judgement

Previous The Who and Oasis drummer Zak Starkey has admitted that he is extremely anxious about the song he will release with John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s sons.

Speaking previously to The Telegraph, Ringo Starr’s son revealed that his supergroup Mantra Of The Cosmos has an album’s worth of songs ready to release. Within that finished work is a single called ‘Rip Off, featuring Sean Lennon and James McCartney.

Starkey, the son of Beatles star Ringo Starr, was adamant in the original interview that framing his work as a homage to The Beatles was unjustified. “No I don’t. Why do I?” he pressed, after the interviewer quipped that all he needs is George Harrison’s offspring for a full set.

Now, Starkey has spoken to The Sun to reveal that the project fills him with anxiety due to the extreme judgment the track will endure. He said, “The Beatles kids thing is something I’ve avoided because it’s something we will be judged on forever.”

The drummer revealed that at first he “thought it was a daft idea. But I’ve got to know James well over the last decade and Sean over the last five years and we have become great friends.”

He praised his friends, stating, “Their music is great. I had a track called ‘Rip Off’, and as we were communicating a lot, I asked them to contribute. We were nervous in case there was no chemistry, but there was loads, and it sounded great.”

In particular, Paul McCartney’s son James has a voice “so powerful it nearly blew me off my seat,” Starkey revealed. Nonetheless, they needed a fourth collaborator to seal the deal; Mantra bandmate Shaun Ryder turned the project into gold, Starkey reported.

“Within five minutes, he showed us that the only lyrical genius in the room was Shaun Ryder,” the drummer said. “He blew our minds, and he wrote and recorded it in less than ten minutes.”

This news comes after a tumultuous time for Starkey, who was fired, rehired, and fired again by The Who bandmates Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. Starkey was also not invited to play with Oasis on their upcoming reunion tour.