ince Garbage is currently on an indefinite hiatus, fans have speculated whether or not Manson will record a solo CD. This issue was finally confirmed on 1 March 2006, when record producer David Arnold's official website announced that "David has just completed writing and producing with Shirley Manson, lead singer of Garbage, for her new upcoming project". Later, the fan site Garbage Disco Box reported that this project was the writing and recording of a song[3]. Billboard.com reported that she intends to record a solo album but she insists that Garbage has not broken up.
Manson revealed to the Sunday Times on 2 July 2006[4] that she had contacted Paul Buchanan of Scottish group Blue Nile to write with her for her solo album. "I thought he’d be very moody and introverted, but he’s not like that at all. He’s quite outgoing and charming. Neither of us has ever written with anybody else before. It’s going to be strange. We’ll see how it goes — it could be a complete unmitigated disaster.”
Manson met up with Buchanan at his Glasgow studio in July 2006 to begin their work together. Manson had previously stated on her online journal[5] that "there's nobody quite like Paul Buchanan to bring the bleakness out in me".
Paul Buchanan spoke to the Sunday Mail on 29 October, 2006, and revealed that as well as working with Arnold, and himself, Manson has also teamed up with White Stripes frontman Jack White and Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan to help write "stunning tunes" for her debut, as well as confirming the record would be released in 2007.[6]
"I knew Shirley's work from her days in Scottish bands Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie and Angelfish and had heard the records she'd made with Garbage. But we'd never met so I couldn't believe it when this rather formal email arrived saying, 'Dear Mr. Buchanan...' The fact Shirley was motivated to ask me to write songs made it worth pursuing. I was worried my music wouldn't fit in with the rocky stuff Jack White and Billy Corgan would come up with but Shirley said, 'Don't worry, I want you to do what you do'. Sometimes the unlikeliest combinations work best - it gets you out the comfort zone."
"I made a conscious effort to write the songs from Shirley's perspective. It only took five minutes to compose them but I'd had six weeks to come up with ideas. Shirley is keen to bounce ideas off different people after taking a break from Garbage." Buchanan also said.
Buchanan and Manson will enter the studio together in December 2006 to record tracks for her album.[7]
On 18 November, 2006, Paul Buchanan revealed Manson was also working with Beck on her new album.
Manson is also to appear on Eric Avery's forthcoming solo album, as well as with him on a cover version of a John Lennon track on an Amnesty International charity compilation.[8]