The Cure’s Robert Smith explains how quitting smoking was his ‘most important’ decision to preserve his voice

The Cure’s Robert Smith has revealed that the decision to quit smoking was the “most important” decision he made to preserve his voice.

The frontman spoke about the decision in a new interview with Radio-X recently hosted John Kennedy, as part of a special track-by-track reading of the band’s new album ‘Songs Of A Lost World’.

At one point in the discussion, Smith spoke candidly about his views on mortality and the decisions he made to allow him to continue his work with The Cure. He explained that although he started the group as a teenager in the ’70s, he didn’t take any steps to preserve his well-being and voice until he was in his 40s.

“I’m lucky to have the genes that I do, because I didn’t really pay much attention to longevity in my personal life, until I was 50,” explains the musician, now now aged 65. “I was amazed that I made it to 50, and then I started to think that I would probably like to make it to 60.” And so I started to moderate a little bit. Then you are 60 years old. In fact, every year is a bit of a bonus for me. So I guess as a result of that, my voice probably held up a lot longer than I thought it would.

He referred to a major decision as quitting smoking at age 40 – both in an effort to protect one’s voice and improve one’s health. “It was truly the most important thing I did. I turned 40 and I said to myself: I will never smoke again. And I didn’t,” he said.

“I think it’s really, along with a few other things, (what has) allowed me to continue doing what I do. But having said that, I know people who are singers and take care of themselves, but then their voice disappears. It’s just one of those things.

He added: “My voice is going to disappear at some point… but I said recently that my dad will sing every day until he’s 90.” He told me: keep singing. He always told me that. Just keep singing until people tell you to stop.

According to Smith’s timeline, the decision to quit at age 40 would have taken place around 1999 – just a year before the release of their 11th studio album, “Bloodflowers.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Smith revealed that the band had “written a really catchy pop song” which they were considering releasing as a Christmas single.

The frontman also said the band are well on their way with plans for two more albums – one of which is expected to be a “companion track” to ‘Songs Of A Lost World’, while the third takes a different approach .

This wasn’t the first time Smith had hinted at new material either, as he said in 2020. NME that The Cure were working hard on “two new albums and an hour of noise”.

“Songs Of A Lost World” was their first LP since 2008’s “4:13 Dream”, and saw The Cure achieve their first UK number one album in 32 years, with NME giving it five stars. “Ruthless? Yes, but there’s still enough heart in the darkness and opulence in the sound to hold you back and place these songs alongside The Cure’s best,” the review reads.

It was also included in NME list of the best albums of the year, while lead single “Alone” was included in NME Best Songs of 2024. “‘Alone’ ended a 16-year drought and proved that The Cure had lost none of their magic. Through swirling synths and cinematic instrumentation, coupled with Robert Smith’s poignant lyricism and melodies, this epic is a masterpiece of ethereal beauty and raw emotional depth,” read the latter. “One of their most captivating songs to date.”

Most recently, the band released new EP ‘A Fragile Thing’ featuring a live version and remix by Robert Smith, before announcing a new live album from their special launch concert in London, arriving last week (December 12 ).