Black Rivers decamped to a remote cottage in Anglesey last winter in order to write and record new material. Sharing vocal duties, they boosted their sound with Jez playing bass and keyboards, and Andy contributing piano in addition to their regular instruments. They also called on the expertise of Claudius Mittendorfer (Johnny Marr, Muse, Temples) for mixing duties. "Some bands are rooted in the reality of the here and now," says Jez. "I suppose we've always been about escapism: searching for something. That's the link, but I wouldn't want to think we sound too much like Doves. The exciting thing about Black Rivers is that we had the freedom to go wherever we wanted. "