The Zutons start work on new album

The Zutons' saxophonist Abi Harding has revealed that the band are starting work on their new album.

The Liverpool band were dropped from their label, SonyBMG, in January, but Harding has said that they are still very much an ongoing concern.

"We're writing a new album at the moment," she told the Liverpool Echo. "We've just moved rehearsal rooms, so we're pretty busy. We've had a bit of time off. Now we're just concentrating on writing."

The saxophonist added that she's been listening to a lot of African music recently, admitting that it may subconsciously have an influence on the band's next album, which will be the follow-up to 2008's 'You Can Do Anything'.

"I've been listening to loads of music - some mad instrumental stuff from Africa, some great stuff from Fela Kuti," she said. "It's nothing like what I play, but I love listening to it. Maybe it inspires a bit of what we do. But that's always been the thing with the band - what we play changes all the time. It feels like we can play anything we want."

Harding also dismissed rumours that she and Zutons drummer Sean Payne are due to marry.

"I keep reading that I'm engaged," she said. "I don't know where that came from."