SFA plan 'lyric free' new record

By Damian Jones
Newsbeat reporter

Gruff Rhys singing with Super Furry Animals

Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys has said their forthcoming album has turned out differently than they originally planned.

The band had set out to make a rock record to follow up their 2007 pop effort Hey Venus! but it evolved into an instrumental LP.

Gruff said: "It was supposed to be a rock album.

"But things came out differently when we actually started to make the record."

The SFA singer said the band have recorded up to 24 hours worth of music in their Cardiff studio over the last 18 months.

The band also roped in a subsection of the BBC Concert Orchestra during their recording sessions.

"We worked with a few members of the BBC Concert Orchestra last year but we're hoping to bring more members in when start recording again," Gruff explained.

"There will be vocals on it but no lyrics and it will still be fairly melodic.

"We just need to work out what we're going to do with the material we have got and cut it down to a reasonable length."

That's very nice of him - it's always amazing when someone actually listens to your records and it affects them in a certain way Gruff Rhys on Gary Lightbody's comments about Super Furry Animals

Like their previous two albums, various members of the band will take up vocal duties on SFA's next record.

"Everybody will be chipping in again. It's the kind of record that allows for it because it's a little less song based," the singer said.

"As for when it's finished, it will just be finished when it's finished. There's no pressure and we haven't set a deadline."

Gruff also said he was flattered by Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody's recent comments describing the Welsh collective as "our generation's Beatles" during a Radio 1 Live Lounge session.

Both bands had previously teamed up on the Mogwai track 2 Rights Make It 1 Wrong from their 2001 Rock Action album.

"That's very nice of him," Gruff added. "It's always amazing when someone actually listens to your records and it affects them in a certain way."

The singer is on the road with his collaborative project Neon Neon, whose album Stainless Style was nominated for the Nationwide Mercury Prize.

Gruff Rhys performing with Neon Neon over the summer

"That was a big surprise really because we didn't expect to be nominated. We had a good night out at the ceremony though," he said.

Despite the concept album's recognition, Gruff said it was unlikely the band would make a second record.

He added: "I don't know about making another Neon Neon album because it was quite a specific record about (John) De Lorean's life story.

"If we did something in the future it would have to be something different. But it's nice that it did well and we get to play it live."

Neon Neon release their new single Dream Cars, which will feature a cover of Mr Right by Cardiff post punk band Young Marble Giants, on 8 December.