5 Seconds of Summer's Michael Clifford Announces Solo Debut Album 'SIDEQUEST,' Out July 25

Abby Anderson
1 hour ago
2 min read

michael clifford sidequest artwork — CREDIT: MICHAEL CLIFFORD

Michael Clifford is making his greatest sidequest to date. The 5 Seconds of Summer lead guitarist took on producer credits for the band's fifth studio album in 2022, became a father in 2023, and now Michael has announced that his solo debut album, Sidequest, will be released July 25, via Hopeless Records. Every good pop-punk artist has a witty banter built up with their fan community and Michael has been no different, teasing fans with emo-punk imagery across his social media for the last several months before finally announcing his debut single, "cool."

Sidequest's announcement follows that of fellow-bandmate Calum Hood's upcoming solo debut album, CHAOS order CHAOS, out June 13. The collection of solo work released by members of 5 Seconds of Summer already includes Luke Hemmings's When Facing the Things We Turn Away From (2021) and Boy (2024) and Ashton Irwin's Superbloom (2020) and Blood on the Drums (2024).

On his solo debut, Michael taps into his youth in the face of growing older, channeling his early emo-pop musical influences. He twists his reality to channel heavy emotional content into sonic joy, facing vulnerability with bright colors and larger-than-life instrumentation that builds upon the roots he's built with 5SOS.

Michael unveiled the tracklist of the album with the announcement, which includes features from emo-pop and electro-pop artists including Waterparks, Porter Robinson, and Ryan Hall.

Preorder/presave Sidequest here. Exclusive vinyl variants, including signed copies, are available on Hopeless Records and across various retailers.

Sidequest Tracklist: