Lindsey Buckingham revealed he’d begun work on a new album during a year that had challenged him in terms of health and grief.

In a social media post the former Fleetwood Mac guitarist thanked his fans for their support during the past 12 months and said he was looking forward to the future with a positive attitude.

He’d been forced to cancel part of a tour in October 2022, citing “ongoing health issues.” He’d dealt with a heart attack in 2019 and later had to come off the road after testing positive for COVID. In November he said the death of former bandmate Christine McVie had been “profoundly heartbreaking,” describing her as “a musical comrade, a friend, a soul mate, a sister.”

But he continued: “The year’s polarity of positives and negatives has only strengthened my resolve to remain in the moment and to continue to move forward. Happily, my health has returned, and I’ve begun work on a new album. Thanks so much to everyone for your support. I’m looking forward to 2023 and beyond!”

His most recent release was his self-titled solo album in 2019, which he said he’d wanted to launch on a number of occasions before that, but “unforeseen circumstances” – perhaps including his 2018 dismissal from Fleetwood Mac – had got in the way. He added: “I wanted to make a pop album, but I also wanted to make stops along the way with songs that resemble art more than pop. As you age, hopefully you keep getting a little more grounded in the craft of what you’re doing. For me, getting older has probably helped to reinforce the innocence and the idealism that hopefully was always there.”