First of all, wasn't this album supposed to have come out in October last year? Why the long wait? I know you've been sitting on for about a year or so.

ALEX ELTON-WALL (vocals, guitar): We have definitely been sitting on it for far too long! It’s actually probably more like a year and a half since we finished the mixing and mastering. So it has been really frustrating for us that it has taken so long to get it out. We parted company, in a completely amicable way with our last label Laughing Outlaw Records, so then it took a while to find another label for the band that felt right. And then we re-did all the artwork etc. and there was a need to fit into a new release schedule etc. The months just kind of seemed to roll into each other.

Your previous album, Take Me Home came out in 2007, and four years is a fairly long time by any one's standards. Can it be difficult keeping a band together, when there's not a constant musical output, be it new records or live shows?

ALEX: I guess by Guns n Roses standards we are pretty quick workers, but you are right, it has been a big gap since Take Me Home. The recording process itself ended up being far more drawn out than we would have liked. And then to add to that, 'life' kind of got in the way as well - members of the band have moved house, and moved house again, and had babies, and changed day jobs and all that stuff since the last record. Ha ha - and there was probably an element of laziness as well! But in the last couple of years members of the band have been doing other things musically as well - Dan has been playing and recording with our pals The Snakes and Christopher Reese, Rain plays in a great band called the Snakeoil Rattlers, Dave has been doing loads of pedal steel sessions and Tom has been teaching guitar and playing with some other people. Actually - it’s just Hannah and I that have been lazy! The most difficult thing about keeping the band together for us is geography - we are pretty spread out - Gloucestershire, Cardiff, Sussex and London - so it’s harder to get together than it was when we all lived in London. But I think, we are all pretty sure that we want to carry on playing together. We feel the Redlands Palomino company is sounding better than it ever has at the moment.

HANNAH ELTON-WALL (vocals, guitar): It can be hard to keep the momentum up yes, especially as we are all so scattered now geographically as Alex says. We have jobs, partners, some of us have babies, dogs to walk, other stuff to do! It can be difficult just getting together to practice. But we all love the band, and when we do get together we all remember why it’s worth the effort. It’s not hard keeping the band together as such, but it’s hard to fit it around the lives of six busy people!

So now, finally, it's only a few days away from being released by the very, very fine folks over at Clubhouse Records. What do you think Don't Fade says about The Redlands Palomino Company at this precise time in the band's career?

ALEX: That is quite a difficult one. I guess all bands asked that question will say that their latest release is their best one - but I think this is. I think the playing is better on the whole, and I think the songs are better. And I think, even though this is our shortest album, there is more variation on this one than the first two. It still sounds like the Redlands Palomino Company, but hopefully it shows a few different sides to the band.

HANNAH: I think the title of the album says it all!  I think we're hanging on in there, a little frayed around the edges - but still having fun as a band. I'm really proud of this record, mainly because this is Alex's first solo attempt at production, and we think he's done a really great job.

Alex, I know you had to learn the art of record producing as you went along. Why did you decide to do it on your own, and how do you think it affected the outcome?

ALEX: We were lucky enough to work with some great producers and engineers on our first two records, but by the time we were ready to start Don't Fade, I was really curious to see if I could have a go myself. I suppose in a bloody minded way, I just wanted to prove to myself that I could produce a record. I had been fascinated by the whole process of recording and mixing when we'd been in the studio before, and had always watched carefully what the producer or engineer was doing, right from the mic placement to achieve different sounds, through to the process of actually mixing to achieve a good stereo mix. In terms of how me doing it affected the outcome - in one sense it was negative, because it took me so long as I was learning as I went along, and because I had complete control, there was always the temptation to re-do things and endlessly tweak and re-mix. But in another sense, I hope it has been positive because we all knew the sounds and feel that we wanted, and we had complete control in achieving that. And because we weren't ever in the environment of a 'proper' recording studio, with time and financial constraints, we were able to be relaxed about our whole approach to recording. We recorded the basic rhythm tracks in a beautiful 400 year old farmhouse in rural Wiltshire, which we were fortunate enough to borrow from Dan’s parents – it was such a great place and atmosphere to be recording in.

Apart from pressing record and pushing a few buttons here and there, a producer also keeps the band on track, making sure that bad ideas and the 20-minute guitar solos don't end up on the record. Wasn't it a daunting task suddenly being "responsible" for the outcome of the record when it comes to its sound etc?

ALEX: It was daunting, and I did feel a weight of responsibility - because I wanted more than anything for the rest of the band to love what I was doing and think I was helping to record the best possible performance they could give, and do it justice in terms of the recorded sound. In a strange way, throughout the whole process, I sort of felt like I wasn't  'in' the band. I tried to be detached and objective and forget that I was one of the singers and guitarists in the band. Sometimes I tried to steer them in a particular direction for what I thought was the good of the song rather than a particular part, and hopefully it worked. Ha ha, then other times, I tried to push something, and one or all of them told me I was completely wrong! I remember the first time Rain recorded the bass part for the song 'One A.M.' and I just didn't get it at all. I told him it was totally wrong and pushed so hard to get him to do something different. Bless him, he recorded another part to humour me, but told me to listen back to his initial one in a few weeks. I did, and of course, came to love his initial part. I now think it is total genius and I was an idiot for ever questioning him!

How did it make the rest of you feel when Alex said he wanted to produce the record? Was there perhaps an initial fear that he might turn into sort of one-man Don Henley/Glenn Frey, turning up his own bits in the mix, making them sound better than yours?

TOM BOWEN (Guitar): He's far worse than The Eagles in the studio, drugs and dancers everywhere. Just kidding. I was really excited when Al started recording us, I've worked with several producers and it can be a gruelling, sometimes nasty experience. Al put me at ease- it helps that our points of reference are very similar. He's also very good at stopping me trying to overdub Hendrix type licks all over Hannah's delicate songs.

RAIN (bass): I don’t know who Don Henley or Glenn Fry are – but I’m guessing they make records rather than chocolate?

DAN TILBURY (drums): Having Alex produce was not a cause for worry at all. He is a very motivated and resourceful chap. We are a close-knit bunch in the Redlands camp, so having zero outside influence and homely surroundings enabled us to really relax and try some unconventional ideas –such as recording a drum track with no accompaniment bar Alex miming his guitar part-. I hope his new-found production skills are recognized with this album; as long as we can still afford him when the time comes for RPCo’ album number four.

RAIN: When Alex said he would produce the record it sounded cheaper than some of the insane offers we’d been made! You know, for £75K we could have had Kanye West.  Frankly, when it comes to laying down and mixing up a bed of luscious country rock smothered in tasty southern-style guitar licks, Alex was the only man for the job. West couldn’t mix a cake never mind a Redlands record.

DAVE ROTHON (pedal steel): It seemed the obvious step - Alex produced our previous EP and did a great job - and it was clear that even since then he'd come on in leaps and bounds with the technology. Plus there was the fact that we could take as long as we needed to get our parts right without the studio clock ticking away. That can be a double-edged sword, of course, but I was fine with it!

HANNAH: For me, yes, I was worried. Only because he's a real perfectionist and I knew it would take a long long time for him to be happy with it. There is a lot to say for going into a studio and bashing out a record in a couple of weeks. Doing it yourself can be too relaxed and it drags on... and it did... but I'm so glad we did it this way and I would do it again. But for the next one we've considered hiring somewhere to get away and record something in a set amount of time. Plus the blokes in the band make so much mess in my house when we are recording, that I have to fumigate the place when they leave.

I usually wait till the end of the interview before I start asking people about their record deals, but there are a lot of good things to be said about what they do over at Clubhouse. Why do you think they make you a better band?

ALEX: Yes - there is a lot to be said for the way Clubhouse do things! They included one of our tracks on the compilation album 'Divided by a Common Language' they put out last year, and immediately we thought they were doing things in the right way, for the right reasons. We met Danny and Tristan who run the label a few times and got on well, and when they said they'd be interested in putting the record out, everyone in the band immediately thought it was the natural thing to do. They are both musicians themselves, which I think really helps. Clubhouse Records just seems like a cool place to call home.

HANNAH: For me, I was really excited about the prospect of working with a UK based label.  They are full of enthusiasm and their drive was really inspiring at this stage in our career!  Laughing Outlaw were fantastic, but obviously it is a little harder to work closely with an Australian based label.  We are all really excited about Clubhouse and hope that we can make them proud to represent us!!

The opener, 'Call Me Up', is a perfect example of what you're famous for – the harmonies. What do you think the secret behind a good harmony is? What is it that people like you and Hannah, Gary Louris and Mark Olson, Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary, Emmylou and Gram etc all have figured out?

ALEX: Firstly I am very flattered that you talk about us in the same sentence as those other singers, who we really love and admire. They are all central influences for us - "imitation is the best form of flattery" and all that! As for the secret of what makes a good harmony - I think Hannah has to take all the credit for the harmonies in the band. She is a natural. Sometimes infuriatingly so for me, as it often takes me far, far longer for something to click and for me to 'get' the part that I should be singing. But I guess it’s just natural to want your music to sound like the music you love listening to.

HANNAH: Bickering and heartache.... and a little bit of affection thrown in for good measure. Most people who have been in a relationship for anything over a year identify with this, so I suppose it works musically. You forgot to mention Sonny and Cher....

Hannah, I remember when I spoke on the phone to Alex last year, I could hear you in the background, shouting something about him being a control freak. Care to elaborate on that?

HANNAH: I have to say, I love these questions!  We must discuss this at length over a pint one day... Yes, he is an utter control freak. When he's in full swing I like to call him 'Little Hitler' which makes him most upset. It’s probably the best part about him too though to be honest. You can depend on Alex to have crossed all the 't's and dotted all the 'i's and sorted everything out. He's brilliant at being calm when I'm not and I'm happy for him to take the reins 99% of the time. The 1% of control I have mainly lies in the kitchen and laundry area. Great.

Dan & Tom, Don't Fade is the first album that features the both of you. Was there any bigger issues you had to adapt to when you joined back in 07? Anything you felt that needed to change for you to fully function in the band?

TOM: The only thing about joining that I was slightly concerned about was treading on David's toes, I think we've managed to blend well though, plus we often just take a solo each and everyone's happy. I'd wanted to join Redlands for years, so I had an idea of how to fit in. I also had to ramp up my alcohol consumption.

DAN: I had been a fan and a friend a long time before the chance of being a member of the band came along so settling in was easy both musically and socially. I think/hope that both Tom and I were asked to join because of what we have to offer – in myself, heavy backbeats are a trademark - I did learn a valuable lesson early on as well though. When you have 6 musicians in a band, you have to curb your enthusiasm a bit. As much as possible, I restrict myself to one carefully placed thundering drum fill per song.

You probably get this question all the time, but can it ever be difficult being in a band with a married couple? I'm married, and it's not always blissfull heaven, so I can imagine being stuck in a van on the M25 in the middle of a domestic fight.

TOM: Luckily they don't really row, more of a kind of gentle bickering - which is actually very entertaining and amusing when stuck in traffic, makes the hours fly by. It also spills into between-song banter on stage - I reckon they've got potential as a comic double-act.

RAIN: Which married couple? There are a few married couples in the Company. Rain and Dave are the old timers loving nothing more than a post-gig mug of cocoa and an early night. While Tom and Dan fight tirelessly over which Rolling Stones record is really the best. Alex and Hannah are way less likely to have domestic than the boys in this outfit.

DAN: Thankfully Hannah and Alex don’t really bring any domestic issues into band time. They seem to have settled on clear roles within the band which saves a lot of bickering.

DAVE: I'm very good at dodging missiles.

So, Hannah and Alex, what's it like being a married couple in a band? How do you sing a song about heartbreak when you're in love with the person you're singing it with?

ALEX: In the interest of self-preservation, I'll let Hannah answer that one!

HANNAH: To be honest, many of my songs aren’t strictly auto-biographical, I find it easy to put myself in someone else’s shoes, or imagine how I would feel in a certain situation, or how I have felt in the past.   Also, we have a tendency to bicker on stage about capo positions and the like, so I can easily summon up a bit of heartache on command.

Hannah, I remember Alex telling me that there are days when he can barely go down to the shops without you having written three songs by the time he gets back. Why do you think it comes so easy to you?

HANNAH: My songwriting seems to come in waves. I go through periods where I will write four or five in quick succession, then I'll write nothing for ages. It seems to be synonymous with stress. I write more when I'm sad or angry about something. Its not easy at the moment, I pick up my guitar and nothing happens, but I know that in a few months Alex will leave the bath running and flood the kitchen or something and I'll write a shed load!

When you first started out, there wasn't really much of a scene here in the UK, but now we have The Truck Festival, Clubhouse Records, Alan Tyler doing all sorts of interesting things, and of course, Americana UK pulling much of the weight. Are these in fact good times for British country rock, or is the competition getting harder and harder?

HANNAH: I can honestly say I don’t feel competitive in any way. We love doing gigs with our contemporaries... even if they are younger, sexier and more talented! It's great hearing other people playing like-minded material - it’s inspiring and can make you book that extra rehearsal to try and keep up to speed. I'm just delighted that people have bought our records and enjoy the music we have made. If we play with a band that we think are stiff competition you will always see the Redlands in the front row enjoying it. I'll say this in print however, I don’t want any young up-starts stealing my rider at future gigs.

ALEX: I think in many ways it is a great time for our kind of music. There are so many brilliant bands around playing inspiring music - the Clubhouse compilation last year was evidence of that. There is so much going on that I genuinely love – Danny and the Champs, the Rockingbirds back together, The Snakes who are one of the best live bands I have ever seen, Pat McGarvey and his band Southern Tenant Folk Union, our friends the Rosellys who are wonderful, the Snakeoil Rattlers, Ghost of a Dog, Two Fingers of Firewater, Spring Park Motel and a very special band up in Scotland called the New Madrids. The list goes on…..

When we started more than a decade ago in London it did feel a bit like it was just the Arlenes, Alan Tyler, Bap Kennedy, us and a couple of other bands playing this kind of music. But in some ways I suppose that was good in a selfish sense, because we got all the choice support slots with the more well known American and Canadian bands that were coming over! And who knows how the internet and filesharing has really affected bands like us. I think undoubtedly it’s had a negative effect on record sales, and it is harder to make money. But at the same time, the internet and recording technology has given bands the opportunity to record their music and promote their music without having to be beholden to record companies - which has got to be a good thing.


Don't Fade by The Redlands Palomino Company is out June 13th on Clubhouse Records.