McCulloch left Echo & the Bunnymen in 1988 and released his debut solo album, Candleland (1989), which reached number eighteen on the UK Albums Chart. Three singles from the album – "Proud to Fall", "Faith and Healing" and "Candleland (The Second Coming)", which features Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins – were released, but did not chart well in the UK. However, "Proud to Fall" reached number one on Billboard magazine's Modern Rock Tracks chart in the United States, while "Faith and Healing" reached number ten on the same chart. Mysterio was released in 1992, reaching number forty-six on the UK Albums Chart. Of the supporting singles – "Honeydrip", "Lover Lover Lover" and "Dug for Love" – only "Lover Lover Lover" (a Leonard Cohencover) reached the British charts at number forty-six.
In 1993, McCulloch contributed vocals to the track "Moses", on 808 State's album, Gorgeous.
After a brief spell recording as Electrafixion with former Echo & the Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant, the pair reformed Echo & the Bunnymen in 1997. While still with the band, McCulloch released a further solo album, Slideling, in 2002. The album failed to chart and, of the two singles released from the album, "Sliding" and "Love in Veins", only the first made the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number sixty-one. In May 2012, McCulloch released his fan-funded fourth studio album, Pro Patria Mori, via website, PledgeMusic.
