Sophie to work with the Freemasons again

Apart from the 17 theaudience tracks that recently leaked onto youtube, there's more exciting news. Sophie is going to work with Freemasons again!!

You read it here, first, some days ago, and now she confirmed it!

In her ten years in the music industry, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has gone from chic indie starlet to purveyor of the finest disco bangers. And thanks to her endless charm and those world-class cheekbones, she's nabbed quite a following along the way. Teaming up with the Freemasons for 'Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)' - another opportunity to over-enunciate that word - she's back and raring to go. We caught up for a chat about the song, her new album and some rather exciting collaborations.

Are you feeling confident about the single's chances?
"Haha! I don't think I've ever felt really confident before a single comes out. I know enough to know that you don't really know anything about how it's going to go! I'm optimistic but not smug. I've had a lot of good feedback from people coming up to me and saying they like it, but I'm not going down the bookies just yet!"

How did 'Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)' first come about?
"I was working on some new material with a guy called Biff (Stannard), who's good friends with the Freemasons. They sent over the instrumental to 'Heartbreak' and we wrote the lyrics. The single remix has changed a bit from the original demo, but it was always their song to start with."

Why did you decide to team up with the Freemasons?
"The thing I love about them is that whilst they've got a lot of dance sensibilities, they've also got pop sensibilities. With them there's always an appeal from a melodic point of view as well as just the basic four-to-the-floor beat. Their songs feel like they've got a bit more texture and shape to them. I think they respect the fact that people want a song to tell a story as well as make them boogie."

Will they be doing any more songs on your new album?
"Yeah, we will be doing a bit more, definitely. There's another song we're working on at the moment. I think if something works then it's worth perservering with."

How's your new album coming along?
"The album's pretty much done - we've got about three quarters of the way through it. I was supposed to have finished it earlier in the year but then I had my baby so my schedule changed somewhat."

How would you describe the album's sound?
"If anything the album's going to be a bit more dance and a bit more electro. In the past my albums have featured quite a broad range of genres - a bit of indie, a bit of electro - but this one definitely feels like it's more dance-centric. I've done tracks with Calvin Harris, Metronomy and Liam from the Sneaker Pimps, which is maybe why!"

Have you thought of a name for it yet?
"You know what, I seriously need to think of a title! Usually with albums I come up with something before I've finished half the songs, but this time I've neglected the name so I need to get on it. Maybe I should just use Trip The Light Fantastic again or go down the eponymous route?"

Has your husband Richard had anything to do with the album?
"Well, we've got a studio at home, so if he's free one afternoon and we need a bassist I'll give him a shout. We tend to go back and forth playing everything that we do to each other anyway. He's got very good instincts for what works so I like his advice."

How similar are your musical tastes?
"I think they've gotten more similar over time. He introduced me to a lot of stuff when we first met. He would say that he's got broader tastes than me because he likes everything I listen to but I don't like everything he plays. Recently he's managed to get me into some of the old country stuff like Vampire Weekend and Sigur Ros, while I've hounded him with disco classics."

There were plans to release a fourth single from your last album, but it never happened. Why?
"I wanted to release 'If I Can't Dance' but I ended up going on tour instead. Then we were planning on doing a greatest hits and releasing a new track from it but I felt that was maybe a bit premature. That's where 'Heartbreak' originally came about. It's all been a bit higgledy-piggledy, but I think we made the right choice."

Are you worried that there are so many other female pop artists at the moment?
"I don't think the music industry really works like that. It tends to be better when there are things out that complement each other. Over time I've weathered a bit of a storm with what's in vogue. When I first released 'Murder On The Dancefloor' and 'Take Me Home' I would always have dancers, but by the second album it was almost unacceptable to acknowledge pop. It's great that it's come full circle once again."

Finally, how is family life treating you?
"Having two children now is twice as much work but in a nice way. I thought we wouldn't notice the difference quite so much, but it's great as it feels like we have a nice little family now. Sonny is really quite besotted with his baby brother!"

'Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)' is out on June 21. Check back on Monday for our interview with the Freemasons.

SOURCE: DIGITAL SPY