Roy Jurgens on April 3rd, 2018

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After 16 years of self-imposed exile, Matt Johnson has decided to take post-punk legends The The back out onto the road. Included is a Sept. 24 date at L.A.’s Ford Theatre. For the dedicated and starved fans of this cerebral singer-songwriter, this is most welcome news. From 1981’s “Blue Soul,” through “Soul Mining,” “Infected,” “Mind Bomb,” “Dusk” and culminating with 2000’s “NakedSelf,” Johnson established himself as not only a fearless socio-political critic, but also as an empathic soul, willing to swim within the deepest waters of the human condition.

There had been inklings that something had been stirring within the Johnson camp with last year’s “We Can’t Stop What’s Coming” single that featured former The The members Zeke Manyika on percussion, James Eller on bass and Johnny Marr on guitar. The song was taken from “The Inertia Variations,” a documentary which featured Johnson narrating John Tottenham’s epic poem on work and procrastination, celebrity and the creative process. Additionally, Johnson released “Radio Cineola: Trilogy,” a boxed set that featured the new single, new interpretations of The The’s older work and some poetry. A biography of Johnson, “Long Shadows, High Hopes,” penned by Neil Fraser will be in bookstores on June 7.

Johnson explains what caused him to break his silence and return to his artistry in his usual thoughtful manner, “My decision to come out of ‘retirement’ was triggered by personal events in my life. My older brother and long time collaborator Andy ‘Dog’ Johnson, who created many of the distinctive The The record sleeves over the years, passed away in January 2016. His death came in the middle of the filming of ‘The Inertia Variations.’ … Andrew’s illness and subsequent death became a central part of the film and inspired me to write my first new song in many years, ‘We Can’t Stop What’s Coming.’ The whole situation caused me to reflect deeply about what I want to do with my life and so I decided to put a toe back in the water to feel the temperature.”

The U.S. shows will be the band’s first in 18 years. Tickets for the L.A. show go on sale here at 10 a.m. Friday.