Colin Hay Announces 'Man @ Work Volume 2 '

05-28-2025

(Compass Records) Former Men at Work frontman and iconic singer/songwriter Colin Hay announces the upcoming release of Man @ Work Volume 2. The new release is the sequel to his 2003 best seller, Man @ Work, and offers fans an impeccable set of re-imagined favorites from across Hay's rich catalog, including Men at Work classics, solo album highlights, and new material. Man @ Work Volume 2 is set for release on July 18th.

Hay says: "I started working with Compass Records 22 years ago. The first album of mine they released was Man @ Work. We felt that there is now more to the story. Hence Man @ Work Vol 2. We mined some Men at Work songs, and some solo songs I feel close to. All are re-recorded, and somewhat re-imagined. I like it. Hope you do too."

The album opens with "Into My Life," featuring Gregg Bissonette (Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band) and Cecilia Noel. The song originally appeared on Hay's 1990 debut solo album, Wayfaring Sons, and exploded in Brazil in the 90s as the theme song of a popular soap opera, growing to rival the anthemic "Down Under" as Hay's most popular song in South America. Hay looks back to Men At Work's 1983 release, Cargo, for a new recording of the reggae-inflected "Blue for You," and then segues into a stripped-down take on the infectious "Come Tumblin' Down" from his 2017 release Fierce Mercy. "We the People," featuring rapper Derrick "Solpowa" Rice, is a new song that Hay was inspired to write in the midst of the polarizing US presidential election in 2024. The album ends with the haunting "Next Year People," the title track from his 2015 solo release, featuring Hay on acoustic guitar and vocals, and in this version, augmented by a string quartet.

As the frontman and principal songwriter for '80s Australian hit-makers Men At Work, Hay became one of the most recognizable vocalists in pop music with his soaring vocals, infectious melodies, and quizzical lyrics. Classic songs like "Down Under," "Overkill," and "Who Can It Be Now?" unfold like miniature movies, with timeless twists and a bittersweet sense of humor. That wry humor has remained a consistent feature of Hay's solo albums and projects, from his most recent solo release, Now And The Evermore, to international tours as a member of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. A Hay-penned song ("What's My Name") not only made its way onto Starr's 2019 album, but also became the title track.