Bruce Springsteen says not being able to play new album live is ‘very painful’

Bruce Springsteen has shared his frustration at not being able to tour with his new album due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The “Thunder Road” musician will be releasing his 20th studio album, Letter to You, on Friday (23 October) but admitted how difficult it was not to be able to perform it live due to restrictions on large gatherings.

“This is great material to play live,” he told Zane Lowe. “It’s very painful to not be able to go out and play right now, because this is material that’ll play incredibly on stage.”

Springsteen also suggested that his new music was reminiscent of his 1975 hit “Born to Run”.

“I wanted to go back to a style probably closest, you’d have to go back to maybe ‘Born To Run’, where I gave [pianist Roy Bittan] free rein on the piano… the songs fit those kinds of arrangements.”

Letter to You is Springsteen’s first studio album with the E Street Band since 2014’s High Hopes.

Springsteen’s comments come just days after he said that he would move to Australia, should Donald Trump win a second term in the forthcoming presidential election.

“If Trump is re-elected – which he will not be; I’m predicting right now he’s gonna lose – if by some happenstance he should be, I’ll see you on the next plane,” he said.