The Dears Demoing New Material

Can-Rock's great new hope, The Dears, are starting to work on new material.

"We're demoing these songs for the new album and it's going very well," says Murray Lightburn, the frontman for the band. "It's gotta rip heads off. It really does."

Lightburn says there's enough songs right now to make up a double album.

The Montreal band's last few months have been a whirlwind of success. First, there was the sold-out Toronto show in June where people were being turned away at the Lee's Palace doors. Next it was the sold-out August record release party in Montreal for their new EP Orchestral Pop Noir Romantique. And lately, their EP has acheived flirting with Top 40 status on the Canadian singles sales charts, a noble feat for a Canadian indie band.

They may not be indie for long. There are rumours that one international music conglomerate has successfully wooed the band, though Lightburn played coy on that count.

He did, however, say that while the band were demoing the new songs, they're also rejigging some of their older songs, trying to change and adapt them more effectively for playing live.

"The songs we're playing live are actually going to sound better," he said. "There's even more room to explore."

In other Dears news, in the fall the band's former label, Grenadine Records, will likely be releasing an album of material recorded prior to the band's first album, End Of A Hollywood Bedtime Story. Lightburn also hinted that there may be some major tour dates in October.