Yesterday, Zombieguide relayed that Hot Press has reported on a confirmedDolores and Brian Johnson collaboration and also renewed its claim of a forthcoming Dolores O’Riordan solo album.
Dolores’s quotes in the article certainly seem to justify that claim — the lads “are cool with it” — despite previous denials from the Official Site that any solo projects were in the works.
“I’ve started working with this English programmer called Matt Vaughan,” she tells Hot Press. “When I joined the Cranberries I used to write everything on piano – I didn’t play guitar properly at all. So, 14 years on, I’ve come up with these piano-driven songs that I’m recording using Pro-Tools and all that other computer-y stuff.
“It’s completely different to the Cranberries – very experimental and out there. A couple of tracks have a David Lynch movie soundtrack feel, but they’re fully developed songs. I’m going to Toronto for an extended holiday, so Matt’s going to fly out for a week and do some mixes with me in the Metalworks studio.”
Dolores reveals that she’s recorded several rough versions at home in her own kitchen, and that some will consist of more than just piano and vocals. “I’m going to put real guitar on some of them, and redo the vocals which at the moment are rough ones that I did in the kitchen in my little gate lodge. The staff in the farm here thought I was bonkers roaring away on my own!”
Unfortunately, Hot Press doesn’t give any real specifics about her collaboration with Brian Johnson on “Helen of Troy.” Dolores does comment that she’s taken a liking to him — “It’s always fun working with other artists, especially when they’re operating in a totally different area to you. He’s such a darling, not in the least bit arrogant or full of himself. I ran into him last month when we were both supporting the Rolling Stones. Don (Burton, Dolores’s husband) had to tell me who he was ‘cause I didn’t recognize him!” Don beware!
After all this, we shouldn’t forget a certain little something that is still a big part of Dolores’s life — The Cranberries. She hasn’t forgotten either, as she relates to Hot Press once again, they’re still the biggest part of her musical career. “Very much so,” she resumes. “They’ve heard a couple of the piano songs I’m doing and are cool with it. Everybody needs a bit of space because we’re at that different place in life. We’re not a bunch of kids just starting.”
Additionally, she reveals that the band has finished a four-track demo of new songs for their next release. Earlier, the Official Site noted that this demo would be used to secure a new distribution contract for their next album. “As well as opening for the Stones and playing Killarney last week with Counting Crows, we’ve recorded four demo songs for the next Cranberries album. We’ve got another three really beautiful ones in the pipeline, so it’s shaping up well.”
Things are shaping up well, indeed. Hot Press states that the Dolores O’Riordan solo album is due to be released sometime in 2004.
Thanks again to Jessica van Kessel for fetching us the info! Zombieguide will have more developments as they happen!
Sources: Hot Press
