Nearly two years after the release of their debut album Raglans, are back with a vengeance. Despite a busy touring schedule in that time, they managed to get some time off this summer to write some new material. Ahead of their latest European tour, the foursome released live performance videos for three of these new songs True North, What I’ve Done and War Torn to give fans a taster of what they can expect from album number two. Singer Stephen Kelly discusses these new songs and what's next for Raglans.

The final instalment of the songs, War Torn, was revealed on Wednesday and as Kelly explains, it’s one that always stood out for the band, “This one felt good from the start and like many of the songs we just tried to play it as naturally and honestly as possible. What’s it about? Being in a band and all that nonsense.” When it came to the videos, Raglans returned to work with director Finn Keenan (The Strypes, The Kooks, Catfish And The Bottlemen) who they have previously worked with. “We got a tip-off about an abandoned factory in Howth so we broke in, brought a little mobile studio and Finn Keenan bought his camera - we spent the day drinking and laughing. Well, most of us. Conn was recording it so maybe a bit less fun for him.”

Raglans were keen to get the tracks out to their fans as soon as possible, “We have been touring so extensively that we were eager for people to hear our new stuff as soon as possible as there’s only so much 11 songs (album 1) can do for you after a while. We want to be productive and give the people who like our band what they want, more! Shooting us playing live seemed natural - we have been touring now for 18 months so it's definitely how these songs are best expressed.” As far as the group’s next release goes, Kelly would only go as far as saying the band are “planning some really good stuff,” with an EP most likely preceding another album.

Following this summer’s writing sessions Raglans’ decided which songs to release first by seeing how their fans were reacting to them. “The songs kind of picked themselves, they were the furthest along by the time it came to touring and we road-tested them and got an overwhelmingly positive response. That probably accelerated our desire to get new songs in ears."

Album Number Two

Raglans are keeping things interesting by experimenting with new sounds, “The mandolin sound in True North is one that's very distinct and will always sound different to guitar driven tracks” explains Kelly, acknowledging some differences, “but when the songs are all collected together there will be a theme that gives it all one identity... I hope! [...] The second album will sound like the first album should, real!”

“We spent the summer working on new songs in a little cottage.” These songs represent the band’s development on a collective and individual basis, but primarily filtered through Kelly’s world-view, acting as he does as the group’s lyricist “Writing about, (his life) in the last two years.”

There is often a perception that the second album can be a nightmare to write. It’s the period that can make or break a band, with the pressure of expectation from fans, record companies and critics alike heightened. But according to Kelly, Raglans have are not yet feeling much anxiety about their follow-up,

“[We] felt 0% pressure writing the first album, we didn't have a clue what we were doing so every new song was a surprise almost and we just trucked along until we realised we had turned it into a career without knowing - HIGH FIVE! We know what we're doing now and where we are going to go. So, definitely more pressure for the second album, 1% maybe.”

If you’re a Raglans fan in Ireland, you have until the 17^th of December, to acquaint yourself with the band’s new material before their Irish tour begins.

Catch Raglans live on tour:

Dec 17 Monroes Live, Galway,
Dec 18 Crane Lane, Cork
Dec 19 Hangar, Dublin