Doves Delay New Album

Manchester band Doves have stunned fans by claiming it may take until 2012 for new material to be released.

Doves like to take their time. Founded in the early 90s as a dance group, the band turned towards guitars after a fire destroyed their equipment.

Becoming one of the UK's best loved groups, the band then seemed to stall. Doves toured extensively, but took a patience testing four years to craft their third album 'Kingdom of Rust'. Finally released this year, it won acclaim as one of the band's finest works to date.

Now singer Jez Williams has warned that it may take some time before Doves return to the studio. Speaking to the NME the frontman explained that the band are focussed on releasing a 'Greatest Hits' before they commence on an album of new material.

"We've done four albums so next year, around January time, we are putting out a greatest hits collection" he explained. "I know four albums isn't masses but we have been around for ages because each album takes so long to write".

"We will have to start thinking about a fifth album after the greatest hits collection, but in all honesty, I doubt we'll finish our fifth album until at least two or three years' time."

He added: "It makes me sick just thinking about it. That's because I know it will be the start of two to three years of arguments. The thing about Doves is all three of us write each song. We're a democracy, and we always have different input into each songs so it ends up taking ages. Expect a new Doves album in 2012."

Before then, however, Doves have been confirmed as one of the performers at this year's BBC Electric Proms. The band are set to perform alongside a vast choir in one of their most lavish shows to date.

"The BBC gave us a budget for the Electric Proms so we spanked it all on a 40-piece Bulgarian choir," the singer laughed. "Why Bulgarian? Because they are dark. They're not cheery or upbeat singers. The gig will be quite sinister."

"There may not be any fancy lights or props now because we have blown the budget on the choir. But who needs lights when the music will blow everyone away? Right now our sound engineers are stressing about how they are going to mic up 40 singers, but I'm sure they'll figure it out before next month."

Doves are set to play the BBC Electric Proms on October 22nd.