Interpol frontman Paul Banks has revealed that he is currently working on a solo album, for release in the U.S. this summer, August 4th to be precise. But the album, entitled "Skyscraper", won't be released under Banks' birth name, rather a pen named that he has used for years, Julian Plenti.

Banks performed as Julian Plenti in the days before Interpol, and "Skyscraper" will include tracks from that era as well as new songs. Banks also used the name when credited for a remix of the band's own hit "Narc."

Billboard.com report that Skyscraper sounds "cocky" and "sexy", while Pitchfork describe a snippet as "Interpol...meet Beirut." Cool.
 
Don't worry though, this isn't the end of Interpol, as the band are reported to be currently rehearsing material for a new album.

**Updated**

More details of Paul Banks new album have now come to light. It will in fact be called "Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper" and will feature guest appearances from Ratatat's Mike Stroud, Interpol's Sam Fogarino, and Charles Burst of the Occasion. It seems the record will have more of an electronic feel to it that Interpol's material, as a press release states that Banks "acquired the music production software Logic Pro" in 2006 to allow him to make music without a band. "Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper" is due for release on Matador on August 4th and the full tracklist can be found below:

1  Only If You Run
2  Fun That We Have
3  Skyscraper
4  Games for Days
5  Madrid Song
6  No Chance of Survival
7  Unwind
8  Girl on the Sporting News
9  On the Esplanade
10 Fly as You Might
11 H