Britpop Group Blur Planning New Album

Blur’s Graham Coxon has been fairly busy. Not only is the Britpop group getting ready for a performance at the upcoming Brit Awards, but he’s putting out a solo album, one in which he plays all instruments, and gearing up for another Blur release – the first since his return in 2009. Although the group has yet to return to the studio, Coxon assures fans in a Daily Record interview that they’ll start working soon, stating: “We haven’t planned the rehearsals yet, but there will definitely be another Blur album. […] We’re always going to meet up and want to play things. We do like recording. Eventually, even if things aren’t around the corner, Blur will do more recordings together. We all love each other and still like making music so that’s not a bad start.”

On the other hand, Blur may already be recording – just remaining mum to the press. William Orbit – best known producing Madonna’s Ray of Light and her upcoming MDNA  – discussed working with Coxon and Damon Albarn through a few tweets. Although a few choice 140-characters-or-fewer statements are only a small glimpse of a potential Blur album, they show that recording may have already started. Orbit wrote: "I just found out that she [Fatoumata Diawara] has done tracks with Damon A, who I'm in the studio with from Wednesday! […] Hi Graham! Loving the guitars you laid down! Vocal session March 3!"

Orbit would likely be producing the upcoming Blur record. In the past, he worked with the group on 13, the last Blur album with Coxon.

Aside from Blur, Coxon is releasing another solo record, titled A+E, on April 2 in the U.K. Coxon and his bandmates are receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the Brits and, as a result, are performing at the ceremony. In his Daily Record interview, however, Coxon admits he has only attended the ceremony two or three times, as, when they won multiple awards in the mid-1990s, Blur was seated next to Britpop rivals Oasis.