Published at 13:21, Thursday, 05 July 2012

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INSTRUMENTAL outfit Crane never fail to impress, whether it’s on stage or on record.

The Barrow power trio, who cover the whole spectrum of rock – often within one song – have been with us around three years now, and in that time they’ve undoubtedly risen to become one of the town’s most accomplished acts.

Last summer’s debut album, Curious Robots And Nauseous Ears, was warmly received – we labelled it “a lovingly-crafted pièce de résistance” – but until now it has only been available as a digital download.

“There are people who struggle to download music and a lot who wanted a hard copy,” says guitarist Kris Coulton.

“We’ve only got about 30 copies to sell, so it’s a pretty rare release, but the main reason we’ve done it is, like the Americans say, it feels like closure.

“The people that have downloaded it seem to have loved it, and they say that it’s the perfect music to go for a run to or out on their bike. It has that kind of feel to it.”

The band, completed by drummer James Davey and bassist Curt Parker, know the album inside out, having played it live for the best part of 18 months, and they are set to perform each of its eight tracks at the launch night this weekend.

It is an album they are justifiably proud of, and with this physical release, Kris believes it feels like the finished article. “I’m really happy with the end product,” he says.

“We wanted three different types of art on the package, and we’ve got the cover photo taken by James’ dad, Duncan, the digital tree on the back and the hand-drawn roots on the disc.

“Andy from Cuzza-can Designs! put it together, and he doesn’t just go away and then send you it back after a few months.

“He communicates and makes sure you’re happy with it. It feels organic, which is exactly what we were going for.”

While it is the end of a chapter for Crane, that doesn’t mean the material from this album will fall by the wayside – it will always be part of the set, but there could be big changes ahead.

Kris admits: “We want to push ourselves and push new boundaries – and that might mean bringing in someone to do vocals. Nothing like screamo or anything like that, but someone who thinks they can add something to the song.

“It doesn’t even necessarily have to be words, just a voice, but it might work with some kind of poetry or samples – we’re open to ideas. I’m sure it’ll still have that Crane sound, but I want it to evoke new things, different emotions. I want it to be exploring a different avenue.”

l Crane launch their album at Sanctuary, in Abbey Road, Barrow, on Saturday night. Support comes from Collie Stewart and a special Crane acoustic set. Doors open around 9pm and entrance is free.

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk