Studio Progress!

Well, we're back in Studio 19 in Cloghy here in County Down. So far we've put down a load of rough guide tracks with a click, and are also laying down some final vocal/instrumental stuff too.

Did a good version of "I'll Fly Away" one night last week which is sounding great; last night we worked on some more stuff like the old Louvin Brothers song "The Great Atomic Power" and "G.L.O.R.Y" as well. We're really getting into an old Thomas Dorsey song from the 20s called "If You See My Saviour", and we're trying some new instruments like fiddle, dulcimer and mandocello too. So it's early days but sounding good.

We're also thinking of playing a slow-paced instrumental version of "Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb". This was the hymn the small congregation in Darkley was singing that fateful Sunday night in November 1983. We were all youngsters at the time, worshipping in similar wee wooden halls, and the atrocity had a massive impact on our lives. It's usually a bright and bouncy hymn - to hear it as a deep, resonant lament played mainly on the mandocello is strong stuff. It brings a lump to the throat. We'll see if it makes the final track selection.

All being well there'll be a few tracks where Gibson and Ivan take on lead vocal duties too - can't wait for that!

We've got a shortlist (ha!) of 43 songs, and if all goes according to plan we'll have the new CD out in early December. Fingers crossed for the next six weeks.