we've put two new songs up on our myspace page. the first song is called 'the boy least likely to is a machine' and the second song is called 'a balloon on a broken string', and they're both taken from our new album which will be released in the summer. i think one of them might be a single before then as well. i couldn't fit all of the title for 'the boy least likely to is a machine' into the text box when i was uploading the songs so i've had to abbreviate it to 'tbllt is a machine'. it hurt me to do it.

and also there's the new artwork. it's the first of the characters that make up the artwork for the new album. it's a bird and it's been knitted from one of the drawings that my brother does. but i'll have to post another blog about that tomorrow because it's a long story and it involves pictures and a lot of explaining and i just wanted to post something short and simple today because we were putting the new songs up.

this week we're making a new website. so if you go there you won't find anything except for a page telling you that we're making a new website and a link back here. so it's probably best not to bother. unless you just want to see what that would look like.

we did a photo shoot last tuesday because we needed a new photo to go with the two little gigs we're doing at the beginning of march. having my photo taken again reminded me how much i don't like having my photo taken. actually that isn't true. i don't mind having my photo taken as long as i never have to see the photos. but i always end up having to see them. in these latest ones i look like a fat goth in a polo shirt. which wasn't really the look i was going for with this album. in the end we found a photo that we didn't dislike as much as the others so we're using that one. if you go to the photos bit of our myspace page then the new photo might be in there and lots more photos of the knitted bird. i guess we'll have to do some more photos of us next week.

and then we've been rehearsing all week. it was really nice to see the rest of the band again. i hardly get to see them when we're not on tour and i think i might have even missed them. amanda applewood rejoined the band. although she never really left. she just had better things to do that meant she couldn't do the last two tours. i guess the last time she played a gig with us was the v festival. although she did make a guest appearance at the komedia in brighton on the tour last january to play recorder on 'god takes care of the little things'. but that doesn't really count. anyway, it's nice to have 'the harmony machine' back, even if she hasn't learnt any of the new keyboard parts yet.

i have so many things to do. but i'll write again tomorrow.

x

ps. a few people have emailed us about the age restriction at the water rats show in london in march. although it might be listed in some places as a +18 show, it is in fact a +16 show. which is great news. if you're 16 or 17 years old and you wanted to go.

southampton joiners on sunday 2nd march
tickets are available from www.seetickets.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk
or you can phone 023 8063 2601

london water rats theatre on thursday 6th march
tickets are available from www.ticketweb.co.uk and www.seetickets.com
or you can phone 0870 060 0958 or 0870 060 0100