The Dears Reach Out To "Honky Brothers And Sisters" On New Album

Murray Lightburn has written about 15 songs that are in various stages of development for the next Dears album, and he thinks more are still coming in.

"In order to continue the process, we had to load up the car with gear and move into an actual studio," Lightburn wrote in a MySpace blog entry on Tuesday. "An extremely creative vibe exists there with killer engineers/gear and we've already had some amazing contributions from people like the reunited Brebeuf Brass (check your NCL liner notes), and Roberto Arquilla (that name would be in your H'wood liner notes).

"Krief has been melting our faces consistently and George has been pummelling in our brains with every performance. I also somehow managed to convince Benvie to come back and do stuff with us. Don't know how long he'll stick around but it's been really fun and he has contributed massively, everything from Nick Rhodes synth lines to tasteful guitar riffs to beating toms in the hallway. Of course, our resident blog star matriarch and my loving wife Natalia has been holding it down at the baby grand piano and taking care of me. She's taking a lead vocal on this record which is long overdue. I played some banjo and twelve string electric and damn near made a fool out of myself. But I did it to really try and reach out to my honky brothers and sisters because deep down, I love them so."

Lightburn describes the sound of the new material as being "like a battle in the trenches, on the ground, hand to hand. It's bloody and brutal. It's the most honest yet."

The group hope to have a "proper choir" on their fourth album and, while Lightburn says that their music "could only sound like The Dears" by this point in their careers, he admits that a number of influences have crept into the recordings.

"There are some subtle references to dub, grunge, country-funk with a direct nod to — a virtual rip off of — Sly and the Family Stone's Riot record, and some motown meets blues-metal. Or something like that. One thing it ain't is indie rock."

While guitarist Patrick Krief is recording with The Dears, he's also laying down tracks for an album with his own band, which includes Dears drummer George Donoso.

"I've only heard bits and pieces but it's going to be killer," writes Lightburn of Krief's project. "He's ridiculously prolific. The guy is working like a bastard and for that I must publicly give props."