Reformed English rockers Doves have confirmed they’re recording a new album, their first in a decade.
Late last year, Doves surprised their dedicated followers by revealing they would be playing their first live shows since 2010. Set to kick off later this month as part of Roger Daltrey’s annual Teenage Cancer Trust benefit, the group also revealed they would be supporting Noel Gallagher in July.
Now, the band have revealed that there’s more than just live shows on the horizon, outlining plans for a new record.
Late last year, guitarist Jez Williams told Radio X that Doves weren’t looking towards recording a new album just yet, choosing instead to focus on playing together once again.
“At the moment we’re just in a room playing the old tunes,” Williams explained. “We’re hoping the waters are right, the planets are aligned and we get that right vibe and you never say never, but at the moment we’re just concentrating on playing the tunes.”
However, it seems that these plans have since changed somewhat, with the group “unofficially” revealing that they’re working on a new record in an interview with UK magazine Q (via Reddit).
“We’ve actually made a start recording it,” explained drummer Andy Williams. “I mean it’s very, very good. Very good.”
“Unofficially, we’ve started writing. And it’s really, really good,” added Bassist Jimi Goodwin. “I brought three to the table, they brought three to the table, we had some we hadn’t licked before that we’ve totally licked now. And they’re all really, really fucking good Doves songs.”
Check out Doves’ ‘There Goes The Fear’:
“Album next year. Hit the road this year, album next year,” he continued. “I can’t get over how quickly we’ve assembled a record.”
“It’s so good working with Jez [Williams] again. He’s an incredible guitarist. So inventive, so melodic, so unique. And we have the luxury that if one of us — probably Jez — brings a late stonker in, we can add that to the picture.”
Having first formed in 1998 in the wake of Sub Sub’s demise, Doves released four albums over the next 11 years, with each receiving widespread critical acclaim.
In fact, we previously noted how Doves never made it into triple j’s Hottest 100 (though Sub Sub did in 1993) despite even hitting the top 10 in the station’s annual album poll in 2000.
Of course, at this stage, there is no word as to when (or if) Doves might make their way back down to Australia. Fans would undoubtedly recall that the band’s tour of the country in 2011 was ultimately cancelled, with the subsequent revelation being that they had in fact gone on hiatus.
Whatever the case, we’re hoping the band’s first album in a decade will be worth the wait.
Check out Doves’ ‘Black And White Town’:
