Well, this new record is definitely going to be a far cry from Until the Traffic Stops. It’s not really the songs, it’s obvious it’s me, it’s really the way I am putting it together. I have decided this time around to let go a little bit more, to allow other musicians to bring their skills to the record. Therefore, we have Bevis doing all the piano, we have Simon on drums, we have a string quartet adding some strings to a few of the tracks (next week), and rather than do the string arrangements like before, me and Bevis working together, I decided to ask my sister to do them, because she will bring something entirely new to the process. The songs are more direct, the album will have a balance perhaps missing from the first, and it will be much simpler, for example on Traffic there were layers of guitars, layers of violins, I practically created a Symphony Orchestra in my box room with Traffic, not that there is anything wrong with that, but there will be little of that this time around. We have big big tunes and some little stripped back ones, just me on piano and singing. That track in particular, ‘Like John Lennon Said’ I will record live on Friday night, we’ll video me recording it and get it up on the site next week so you can see / hear it. There’s another called ‘Shudder Like You’re Freezing’. Anyway, the tracks are all mapped out and after the Celtic Connections show tomorrow we are heading up to Watercolour Studios, owned by Nick Turner and Mary Ann Kennedy and putting the rest of it together. Next week I’ll add the string quartet, then finish my vocals, which I will probably do at my studio, because I can relax there. And then it comes to mixing. I may mix it myself but I am hoping someone else will be able to do it. We shall see. These things are never straightforward.

Once the record is done, it comes down to promo. If any of you think you have skills in certain areas where you might be able to help the cause e.g. blogs, photos, contacts with people in the press or at radio then let me know. I also mean for Europe too, if any of you have contacts at radio or press in France or Germany and would be willing to mail out some CDs and follow up by email then drop me a line. Do any of you know any ‘celebrities’? Maybe you could bung a promo CD on their laps and see if they’ll endorse it? I am thinking it would be good to get as many people as possible on board to help with this release. The more of us working on it the more likely it will be the success it deserves. In return I’ll give you free tickets, promo CDs in advance, the album in advance etc. Email me at bellevuerecords [at] hotmail.co.uk

Let me know,
Alex