Sting has not been away from the music scene for long, however the former Police frontman hasn't exactly been at his most creative ebb of late and it's actually been a decade since he released any original material. That will all change though when he releases his new album, The Last Ship, with the songs taken from an upcoming stage musical he has co-written himself.

As reported by the New York Times, The Last Ship will feature songs form the Tyneside-born artist about ship-building in his native region, a once thriving industry in the north east of England that, like so many other heavy industries in the country, gradually disappeared from the area over the course of the 20th century. The album, which is due out in September this year, comes hand-in-hand with the Broadway musical of the same name that Sting has written with Skyfall scribe John Logan and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal) and is a narrative account of the decline of the north east's once prosperous trade.

Set in a shipyard in Wallsend, near Newcastle - the birthplace of Sting himself - The Last Ship is set to a backdrop of the failing shipbuilding industry in the 1980s and is set to be directed by Joe Mantello, he of Wicked fame. The stage show is slated for a 2014 release on Broadway and if it proves to be a hit will no doubt be on the West End soon after and could potentially go out on tour too.

Sting, real name Gordon Sumner, is currently on his 'Back to Bass' tour in North America and has been working on the musical production for close to three years with Logan and Yorkey. His most previous work has included an album of lute music in 2006, and two albums from 2009 and 2010 that consisted of reworkings of his previous tracks from both his Police and solo years.

Sting Grammys
The singer will release the new album along witha stage show of the same name

Sting BET
The album will come out just in time to buy it for Mum at Christmas