David Kitt is planning to road-test a new batch of material when he visits The Forum, Belfast (November 7) and Everyman Theatre, Cork (December 22).

Talking exclusively to Hot Press, Kittser says: "I'm hoping to have the new album recorded by March, which means there should be a single out in May or June, and the rest July or August."

The as-yet-untitled collection is likely to include a song that he wrote and recorded recently in Louisiana.

"My publishers, BMG, sent me to Nashville to collaborate with some well-known country writers, but when that didn't really work out I headed south to New Orleans and Lafayette," he told Hot Press. "When I got there, I hooked up with this amazing bunch of musicians which included the '60s Swamp pop guy, Warren Storm, and Dickie Landry who's played sax with Talking Heads and Laurie Anderson. I did one song with the full band, and another with Dickie and a pedal-steel guitarist friend of his."

It's all very different from Kitt's normal modus operandi, which is to hide away in his home studio.

"I haven't really worked that way before, no," he acknowledges. "I'm taking my own band to France in November to record with Dave Odlum. Depending on how that goes, I may go back to the States with a song that I think'd benefit from the Cajun treatment. I'm basically keeping my options open."