Justin Hawkins And Old Bandmates Separately Working On Non-Darkness Material

The Darkness' former lead singer, Justin Hawkins, has posted three songs from his forthcoming solo debut on his MySpace page.

"You Can't Hurt Me Anymore," "Whichever..." and "I've Met Jesus" are the three preview tracks from the unsigned artist, who left The Darkness last October to focus on his recovery from drug and alcohol addictions that he was treated for after checking into a rehabilitation clinic in August.

"All three of the songs on my music profile were written pre-Permission To Land," Hawkins wrote recently. "In fact, you'll hear the expression 'Permission To Land' in the lyrics of 'Whichever...' which was penned LONG before we decided on the title of the first The Darkness record."

Hawkins has also posted four new songs ("Bungalow Castle," "Chrome Norris," "Steam Age Woman" and "Nude Horizon") from his Magnet Watch side project on their MySpace page. Hawkins attempted to represent Britain along with Beverlei Brown at the Eurovision Song Contest after leaving The Darkness, but didn't win.

Meanwhile, the remaining members of The Darkness are close to revealing their new band name and album.

"I can absolutely confirm here and now that we will NOT be carrying on under the name 'The Darkness,'" bassist Richie Edwards wrote on the band's MySpace page. "We will be announcing our new name and launching our new website soon and we hope that you will be there with us when we do.

"I can't wait for this album to be finished and for you all to hear it, it'll knock your fuckin' socks off!"