Hot on the heels of their three Top 30 singles, 'Something For The Weekend', 'Becoming More Like Alfie' and 'The Frog Princess', and the highly-acclaimed 'Casanova' album, THE DIVINE COMEDY release 'A Short Album About Love' on February 10th, just in time for Valentine's Day.
The mini-album features seven love songs recorded with a 30-piece orchestra the day before their legendary Shepherd's Bush Empire show in October last year. The album also features the forthcoming single 'Everybody Knows', which is set for release a month later.
Also recommended from the album are office favourites 'If...' and 'If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me)'.
THE DIVINE COMEDY will hit the road in March, complete with full orchestra in tow, dates to be confirmed.
A message...
Over the last couple of years I have occasionally found myself writing songs which, because of their romantic content, haven't really fitted with the mood of the time. So having tucked them away in my the disorganised filing cabinet that is my mind, I've promptly forgotten about them and got back to the raunchy stuff.
Cut back to Pop Music Land, mid '96. Ideas are coming back thick and fast (but mostly thick) as to how to needlessly over-complicate things and waste bucket-loads more Setanta cash.
"Ah ha," someone cries, "let's do a gig in The Shepherd's Bush Empire with a bloody great orchestra - y'know just what everybody would least expect from a band like The Divine Comedy."
Hurrah! Everyone cheers and the Setanta money-making machine grinds into action. Only one face remains locked in thought. Ole misery guts Hannon, of course. Something was missing. A reason...an excuse. There had to be a big idea behind a project of this enormity. And then it came to me - let's make it a fancy dress gig and only play Christmas songs of the 18th Century and have real sheep and...
"I've got a better idea," interjected Joby, "let's use the show as a opportunity to record a mini-album called 'A Short Album About Love' using those lovely romantic songs you've written."
Setanta nodded furiously in agreement, knowing a good deal when it heard one and everyone cheered "hurrah!" again.
Six months, twenty orchestral arrangements, ten boxes of Nurofen, a hundred thousand quid and one huge communal hangover later, here it is, fit for public consumption and remember folks - it's OK to cry.
Yours in all the sincerity I can muster, Neil