He's already made a sonic departure from Stereophonics with his new band Far From Saints. But now singer Kelly Jones has announced he's to travel to a remote part of Scandinavia in the Spring to make a "weird, spiritual" album.
Speaking on DJ Daniel O'Connell's Radio X show yesterday the Cwmaman-born 48-year-old revealed that he's booked a week at an "isolated" studio on the Norwegian coast in which to make a new solo record. And it's set to be even further away musically from what his fans are used to hearing.
"I've been writing it on a piano and bunch of synths," said Kelly. "It's a spiritual, weird sounding record.
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"And the studio is just this place by the side of the sea with fields around it. I send a photo of it to my mates and they said, 'Are you trying to find the most isolated spot on the planet'?
"I've got four kids at home though, so maybe it's just me trying to get away for a week, " he laughed. "I'm just taking a backpack and a few bits of kit, along with my engineer and the guy who looks after my guitars - no band members.
"I just want a completely different environment (to work in) because as you get older environment and experience become just as important as the record itself. That said, the album might be a load of **** and I may never release it - but I just want to do something I haven't done before and which makes me feel like I'm growing.
"That's as important to me as getting a number one with Stereophonics." Speaking of which, Kelly was quick to allay any fears that the chart-topping Valleys band might be no more in light of its frontman's continuing side projects.
"No, we're not breaking up," said Kelly, "We're still forward thinking, still making records that do really well and still playing stadiums. I have done more 'Phonics songs but now's just not the time for them."
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