Tommy Thayer Confirms KISS Has Recorded New Song Written by Paul Stanley

KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer has confirmed the band recorded a new song written by Paul Stanley, addressing months of speculation about studio activity since the group stepped off the road. Speaking with Guitar World, Thayer said, “We did record a great new song that Paul wrote. That’s probably about as much as I can tell you right now.”

Thayer stressed that any new KISS material still has to clear a high bar before it sees release. “KISS has always believed in making things an event,” he said, adding that new music “has to feel special and have a reason for existing” and that the band won’t put out a record “just because you’re supposed to.”

• Tommy Thayer told Guitar World the band recorded a new song penned by Paul Stanley, without revealing further details.
• KISS bassist Gene Simmons said in May 2026 that the band was “in the studio” and had “just recorded a new song” written by Stanley.
• Simmons told Pollstar in April 2026 that new, band-written KISS songs will appear in an avatar-based KISS show tentatively planned for Las Vegas in 2028.
• KISS has not released a full album of new music since 2012’s “Monster,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 56,000 first-week copies sold.

What Tommy Thayer Said About New KISS Music

Thayer said the band’s post-touring status has not slowed its activity. “KISS may have stopped touring, but that doesn’t mean things have stopped happening,” he said. “There’s still a lot going on and a lot of new things developing.” KISS ended its live touring career in 2023 with a farewell performance at Madison Square Garden as the closing stop of the End of the Road World Tour.

Gene Simmons Also Pointed to New Music in the Works

Thayer’s remarks echo comments Gene Simmons made in May 2026 to KISSbySienna, when he said, “KISS is in the studio now. So we just recorded a new song, as a matter of fact, that Paul wrote.” Simmons added that he couldn’t share more but that the track “will be coming out at some point,” without offering a release window.

A month earlier, in April 2026, Simmons told Pollstar magazine that new songs written by the band would be part of an upcoming avatar-based KISS show tentatively set to open in Las Vegas in 2028. Asked to clarify what “new” meant, Simmons said the material is “written by us,” adding, “We have songs done.” The still-unnamed KISS avatar production is planned as the first major U.S. venture for Pophouse Entertainment, the Sweden-based music investment company co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus.

Paul Stanley Once Argued Against Making New KISS Music

The prospect of new material marks a shift for Paul Stanley, who spent years questioning the value of another KISS album. During the 2021 Kiss Kruise, he asked, “Why would we need a new KISS album?” and argued that new songs from long-running bands lack the “time capsule” quality that older material carries with fans. In a March 2021 interview with USA Today, he said there was little reward in releasing new music compared with “changing lanes” creatively.

Stanley’s position appeared to soften by November 2025. During a Q&A at the “KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas” event at the Virgin Hotels resort in Las Vegas, he said, “there may be some KISS music in the works,” calling it “more than possible. Probable,” and adding, “I only write when there’s a project, and I’ve been writing.”

Also in November 2025, Stanley described to TMZ what a new KISS song might sound like if the band moved forward with one: something “classic” with a beat that people could dance to while still being rock, with lyrics centered on “freedom, self-empowerment, enjoying life.”

KISS’s Album Sales History

KISS’s most recent full-length album, 2012’s “Monster,” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Its predecessor, 2009’s “Sonic Boom,” opened stronger with 108,000 units and reached No. 2, the highest chart position of any KISS album.

More Info

• TOMMY THAYER Confirms KISS Has Recorded ‘A Great New Song’ Written By PAUL STANLEY | blabbermouth.net
• Tommy Thayer Teases Special Release Plans For New KISS Song Written By Paul Stanley | metalheadzone.com
• Tommy Thayer Confirms KISS Is Recording New Music | rockcelebrities.net
• Tommy Thayer discusses the prospect of new Kiss material: “We recorded a great new song that Paul wrote” | Guitar World
• KISS Just Recorded A New Song, And Paul Stanley Spent 5 Years Arguing Against It | loadedradio.com
• Tommy Thayer Confirms KISS Is Recording New Music And Wants To Make ‘an Event’ Out Of It: ‘KISS May Have Stopped Touring, But That Doesn’t Mean Things Have Stopped Happening’ | Ultimate Guitar News