Recorded earlier this year at Gus' Dungeon Studio in Cardiff by Stephen Black (aka Sweet Baboo) - House Arrest sees Euros' flair for melody and gift for story telling undiminshed on this his thirteenth album. ''All the characters in the songs are imprisoned by their thoughts and circumstances '' says Euros ''I'm probably in there somewhere but hopefully not too close to the surface''. . Euros sees inspiration far and wide on House Arrest, tackling subjects such as cannibals dining at an all you can eat restaurant (Crystal and Misty), a man throwing himself into coma to escape everyday drudgery (Happy Coma), a songwriter who's stuck in a jar whilst trying to write a song about life in a Jar (Life in a Jar), a celebrity looking back on his life whilst taking a shower (Shower) directions to a whist drive (Whist Drive) and a man who falls in love with a kitchen implement (My Colander). House Arrest is a solo album in every sense of the word, with Euros doing all the singing as well as playing all the instruments.

"I think around 12 or so keyboards were used in the end. Mostly brought in carboot sales and charity shops over the years. One was found in a skip. They'd been hanging round the house for a long time, it was good to put them to use."

TRACK LISTING

1) My Colander
2) Life In A Jar
3) Monocle Guy
4) Happy Coma
5) Crystal And Misty
6) Check Out Charlie
7) Whist Drive
8) Muzzle Puzzle
9) Shower
10) Turning Strange
1) Here We Are

Here Euros talks us through the making of his new album. A track will be included on Uncut's covermounted cd in time for the release.

Back in April my parents very kindly agreed to go on holiday for a week so that I could take over their house in Pembrokeshire to record my eleventh album 'Sweetheart'. My biggest concern with recording in a house was of getting complaints from the neighbours. So on the afternoon before the sessions began I called round all the nearby houses in the village to warn them of what was in store and to let them know we'd be finishing around eight every evening. They were very understanding.

Whilst I was appeasing the neighbours, Stuart Kidd (drums) was travelling down from Glasgow, Marco Rea (guitar) from Clydebank, Rhydian Jones (bass) from Cardiff and Iwan Morgan (engineering) from London. By early Sunday evening everybody had convened at the house and we watched a bit of a Rambo film. We were ready.

The sessions were pretty layed back. There wasn't the same sense of clocking in and out that you get when recording in a proper studio, and as we were all staying in the house there was no travelling to be done. It was just a case of waking up, having breakfast and starting to record. It also helped that the house overlooks the coast – so in stressful moments you could gaze out the window at the Irish sea. I tend to get quite nervous when I'm recording so I did a lot of gazing out the window.

With the exception of Laura J Martin's flute and Stuart and Marco's backing vocals, everything was recorded live, including my vocal. It felt good to be singing live with a band again on record. I hadn't done that for a while. Sometimes when you're overdubbing vocals it can bring with it a sense of reconstruction, of trying to recapture a mood. But when you're singing live with a band the feel is captured there and then. You can move with the band and feed off everybody's energy.

Recording in the house also meant I could play the piano that the songs had been written on. I've been writing on the same piano for nearly twenty years and although it's featured on two of my solo piano albums 'Ends' and 'Eilaaig', it's never featured on an album with a band. To my ears hearing the songs played on that piano gives the album a more homely feel. The session flew by. We started on Monday morning and finished on the Friday afternoon. Eleven songs recorded in five days. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't at times hard work, it was a lot of music to record in five days. But I think the fact that it was recorded so quickly gives the record a fresh and spontaneous feel.

By Saturday morning everybody had packed up and left and all that was left to do was to tidy up the house ready for my parents return. Once everything was back in its place it was as if nothing had ever happened.

And in case you're wondering - no, we didn't get any complaints from the neighbours.

New album from the ever prolific Euros Childs following on from his Summer Special album last year on his own National Elf label. This isn't a million miles away from its pop predecessor – it has its fair share of sing-a-long-choruses – but this time the subject matter is much darker. On this one the former Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman tackles such topics as: second home ownership (Second Home Blues), serial killer envy (Brides In The Bath), depressed cosmetic saleswomen (Avon Lady) the commodification of the self through the medium of advertising (Ooh La Oona), depressed singer songwriters (Holiday From Myself) Kidnapping (Daddy's Girl) and cyber sex (Good Time Baby). Naturally. Each song is a short story , told though the voice of a different character.

The album was recorded in Bristol at Toybox studios with Stephen Black aka Sweet Baboo on bass & brass, Laura J Martin on flute, Stuart Kidd on drums and Marco Rea on guitar, a line up that had never played before going into the studio so the backing tracks were recorded live.

Euros sites the following influences on this album, but does not promise they will be evident listening to the record. Randy Newman, John Prine, Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais, Godley and Creme/ 10CC (well alright), Judee Sill, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, The Roches, Barbara Woodhouse and Bert Jansch.

TRACK LISTING

1) Tete A Tete
2) Second Home Blues
3) Avon Lady
4) Ooh La Oona
5) Brides In The Bath
6) Give The Girl A Hand/ The Peanut Vendor
7) Holiday From Myself
8) Tina Said
9) Daddy's Girl
10) Good Time Baby (talk To Me)
11) Trick Of The Mind