September 14, 2007 22:33

Beirut finish new album in Arcade Fire's church studio

Zach Condon and co also gear up for US tour

Beirut have completed recording their second album, 'The Flying Club Cup', set to be released on October 8 in the UK and a day later in the US.

Mastermind Zach Condon told NME.COM that his band used Arcade Fire's Quebec studio and instruments to finish the album.

"Owen [Pallett] from Final Fantasy traded some string arrangements for two weeks of free reign over Arcade Fire's studio in a little church in Quebec," Condon explained. "So we locked ourselves in the church for two weeks and finished up the album."

Condon revealed that the band made the most of the unusual instruments Arcade Fire had left lying around their studio.

"They had harpsichords and steel drums and pianos and stuff," he said. "I wanted to use them but not gratuitously - I tried to put them where they belong."

At only 21, the Albuquerque, New Mexico native has created two albums of lush instrumentation with an Eastern European flavour, informed by his world travels.

"In my life right now it seems like all roads lead to Paris, and I lived their until a month ago, so that definitely influenced the record," he said.

Condon said he's grown as a musician since 2006's 'Gulag Orkestar'. "I've taken bigger steps in the orchestration of things," he said. "I've become a better recorder and producer. And I'm letting it happen. My voice can be pretty unpredictable, but that's OK."

Condon and his eight-piece band are set to kick off a North American tour in support of the album on September 23 in New Jersey, as previously reported.

"We finally have our own tour bus," Condon said. "Nine of us in a van can get a little frustrating - we showed up to every gig late. I'm happy we can do this in comfort."

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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