The Gleeman Shoots for the Moon with Mini-Album, ‘You’ll Land Among The Stars’, Out 30th of January 2026

Independent artist The Gleeman is taking aim at the UK charts with his mini-album ‘You’ll Land Among The Stars’, a collection of eight original songs that blend rich storytelling and emotional honesty, demonstrating that creativity has no age limit and that artists with decades of life behind them have stories worth telling.

At 54 years old, The Gleeman (aka Dean Morris) is back in a big way in 2026. This highly anticipated new release will be followed by a second mini-album plus a further full-length follow-up to his 2024 debut album, ‘Something To Say’.

The Gleeman is leading a charge for inclusivity in the music business, proving life experience is the greatest instrument of all. His mission is to dismantle the industry’s obsession with youth and ensure that the voices of mature artists are heard. “I have something to prove as well as something to say. Age should not be a barrier to success in the music industry,” says The Gleeman. “It should be achievable completely independently.”

‘You’ll Land Among The Stars’ is a vibrant, emotionally charged collection that showcases The Gleeman’s remarkable range as both songwriter and storyteller. Each song carries its own cinematic world, distinct in mood, yet united by honesty and heart.

‘Our Teenage Years’ is a wistful, Americana-laced reflection on youthful nostalgia, co-written with The Gleeman’s son. ‘All My Days’ offers a tender meditation on lifelong longing and patient hope. ‘Gotta Get On’ transports listeners to the 19th century in a richly drawn narrative full of grit, tension, and two sharply contrasted personalities, a beleaguered couple locked in a last-minute barney about boarding a California-bound boat to start a new life and chase the gold rush. The track also features a guest vocal from chart-topping soul singer and long-time mentor to The Gleeman, David Grant (Linx), whose last major duet famously reached No.5 in the UK charts.

‘Singing In The Rain’ pleads for forgiveness with disarming sincerity, while ‘For A Second Time’ adds a softer, deeply reflective moment to the record, a slow-burning acoustic song that explores the aching question of whether time can ever make space for love to return once lost. Elsewhere, ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ channels ambition, trust and vulnerability, coloured by the sting of betrayal when that trust is broken, and ‘You Are My Friend’, a song written in the early 1990s and rooted in loyalty, connection and the bonds that endure as life unfolds. Finally, ‘My Final Song’, a reflective and unexpectedly uplifting contemplation on mortality and personal agency, a song that listeners have already described as both comforting and cathartic. While its narrative imagines a world where end-of-life choices are approached with dignity and openness, it also resonates deeply as a modern farewell hymn for memorials, celebrations of life, or moments of reflection.

Through ‘You’ll Land Among The Stars’, The Gleeman continues to champion his self-started initiative #MatureMusicMatters, shining a light on the lack of representation for artists aged 40+ creating new original material. Major labels chase youth because it’s commercially convenient, but that doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t have stories worth hearing.

Music has been The Gleeman’s lifelong companion. From choirboy to cornet player, from teenage songwriter to late-blooming artist, his path has never been straightforward, but it has always been guided by melody, emotion, and meaning. Over the years, he has weathered self-doubt, built a successful business career, and endured profound personal loss, including the passing of both parents to dementia. Those experiences have shaped not just the man, but the music, deepening his conviction that songs have the power to connect, to heal, and to endure

Alongside his recordings, The Gleeman has also become an active advocate for the power of music in dementia care. Previous single ‘You Are Not Alone’ brought together acclaimed actress Sian Reeves with members, carers and volunteers of Vicky McClure’s Our Dementia Choir in a deeply moving music video inspired by the loss of both his parents to dementia. The project has gathered extraordinary public support, with celebrity messages of solidarity from Chesney Hawkes, Andrew Roachford, Michelle McManus, Marty Wilde, Damien Dempsey, Chris Amoo (The Real Thing), Grant Nicholas (Feeder), Joe McElderry, Matt Cardle, Bonnie Tyler, Ian Prowse, Callum Beattie and many more, powerfully amplifying the song’s message of connection and compassion.

Now, as The Gleeman steps into this new chapter, he embodies the very spirit of his record’s title: reaching high, aiming true, and reminding us that it’s never too late to dream big. ‘You’ll Land Among The Stars’ is a statement of intent from an artist proving that life experience is the greatest instrument of all.

Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Fifth Element PR

The Gleeman’s mini-album ‘You’ll Land Among The Stars’ is released on Friday 30th January 2026.

Follow The Gleeman here: https://stream.thegleeman.co.uk/stream-1