Ringo Starr Readies His Lockdown Project: A Mini-Album Titled ‘Zoom In’

Mr. Starr, who is 80 years old, spent much of the lockdown at home in Beverly Hills, Calif. He worked out and made paintings—a creative outlet he has pursued for decades. Between April and October, he worked on “Zoom In,” a five-song EP (for extended play) in the recording studio in his guest house. Some famous friends joined the project, working alongside Mr. Starr but at a safe distance. Among the background singers on “Here’s to the Nights,” a song on “Zoom In,” are Sheryl Crow, Lenny Kravitz, Dave Grohl, Jenny Lewis—and fellow Beatle Paul McCartney. Mr. Starr’s brother-in-law, Joe Walsh, of the Eagles, also sang, as did Steve Lukather, a founder of Toto, who also played guitar on the track.

In December he published “Ringo Rocks: 30 Years of the All Starrs,” a retrospective of the group he began in 1989. The book’s sales benefit the charitable foundation he runs with his wife, Barbara Bach.

Mr. Starr spoke with The Wall Street Journal recently about streaming, touring and why he has “always been a band man.” Edited from an interview over Zoom:

Have you spent the past year at home?

We’ve been here pretty much the entire time. We had one week in Colorado and that was it because we wanted to get into the countryside and walk.

What’s the daily routine?

No real daily. Am I recording today? Then that’s the daily. Five days a week, I go to the gym. That’s the daily. And I paint whenever it comes to me.

You already have an enormous catalog of songs. Why keep writing and recording?

Well, that’s what I do. And it gives me the opportunity to play and be creative. You know, I thought the last CD I’d ever make is [the 1989 album] “What’s My Name?” I thought, “I’m just going to make EPs.” It’s a shorter time. We can have a lot of fun and then put that out. Everything’s streamed anyway.

I tried to be different this time because I didn’t have to be the writer or the co-writer. If you’re looking at my last CD, I’m co-writer on every song. I called people up. I started with [songwriter] Diane Warren; I just asked her for a song.

You know, an EP was four tracks to me, and I did four tracks and I’m starting to wrap it up and then I get a call from Steve Lukather: “We’ve got this song, Joe [Walsh] and I.” I said, “Well, send it over.”

So they came over and it’s called “Not Enough Love in the World.” I had to do it! I mean, everything I’m doing is in this song! So it’s a five-track EP and it also meant hangout time at a distance with pals.

What does being an All Starr mean to you?

It gives me a great opportunity to go on the road and play with other people and play to an audience. I love an audience. I mean, they know I love them and I know they’re there and they love me. It’s what I was doing in Liverpool a hundred years ago. And I’m still doing it now. I’ve always been a band man. I like to be in a band and I’ve been in a couple of great bands.

I’ve heard of some of them.

I just kept doing it. Talk to Barbara: Every time I say, “That’s it. I’m not touring anymore,” a week later, I’m sitting there, saying, “Yeah, I’m going to go on tour.” She says, “Oh, I’ve heard you say that for 29 years. That’s what you say all the time.” And I do! I have this steadfast “I’m not doing it no more.” But, oh, yes, I am. The left part of the brain comes in and the smiling follows.

Besides the All Starrs tour, what’s next?

In January, I came in here with my engineer—he’s a producer as well, Bruce Sugar—and I had this idea for a song and we put the track down. I think I’m going to do another EP. I’m just going where the road leads me.