Dido Says New Album Will Be Raw

Dido says that her new as-yet untitled album, her first since 2003's White Flag, will be out later this year.

"I'm loving it so far," Dido said in a Feb. 13 album update on her website. "Everything's been played live and is more raw but it still stays true to what I love about music that has textures and exciting things and surprises at every layer. I'm really proud of the songs."

The singer, born Florian Cloud De Bounevialle Armstrong, is recording songs in Los Angeles and London, England with producer Jon Brion. The record was originally set for a 2006 release, but got pushed back.

"I'm mixing all of the stuff I wrote and recorded last year at the moment," says Dido, who wrote new material following a death in the family around the Christmas holidays.

"Since dad died I've written a whole load more songs (while he was sick it was harder to write and I just wanted to spend all my time with him)."

Dido promises that the new record is more personal than her sophomore effort.

"I've played a lot on this album too which has been really satisfying. Basically I've thrown absolutely everything into this record and it's really important to me."

Dido covers James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" on the forthcoming Starbucks-affiliated compilation, Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project.