Peter Gabriel releases ‘A Hard Lesson’ from upcoming album, ‘o/i’

By Jill Lances Jun 1, 2026 | 11:25 AM

“It probably started in the late 80s or early 90s when I was in Senegal,” Gabriel explains. “I was falling in love with the music I heard there. I loved the tension created by the use of polyrhythms, particularly the threes and fours, so that was the start of this song.”

He adds, “It’s a quirky, strange and long track but it’s a journey. It’s about trying to find a place, your place, how you fit in.”

As he did with his last album, 2023’s i/o, Gabriel is releasing a new song from o/i with each full moon of the year. The entire album will be released by the end of 2026, along with Dark-Side and Bright-Side mixes handled by Tchad Blake and Mark “Spike” Stent, respectively.

“A Hard Lesson (Bright-Side Mix)” is now available via digital outlets.