You guys have been working OUT!" would be a good summary of responses to the new album, 'The Speed of Sound'. It is definitely the most rocking album Grand Prix have made so far. They were excited going in to the studio - they had new songs, a new direction and they would be recording them live in a room together as a band for the first time. And they're happy with the results. It's rock that might have come from the 70's, an evolution from the dark surf sound of the previous albums.

Each Grand Prix album so far has moved forward through roughly a decade of music. At some point the idea came up to start at the beginning [in this case whenabouts blues met bluegrass] and evolve forward again and again, avoiding some of the dead end streets that have happened, and evolve to something they can call our own. Although they live in New Zealand, Grand Prix are influenced by music from bigger cultures like America and Europe. They wanted to feel that they had done some homework on the roots of popular music, and see where they ended up.

Album number four signals a move towards the Seventies, and the testosterone seemed to come to the party in accordance, Grand Prix found themselves kind of revisiting their youth. Andrew remembered why he picked up the guitar in the first place, and with Nato and Davey in the band, it had to get a bit heavy.

Many of the new songs were written by Andrew in his hometown of the Hawkes Bay, where he has returned to live for a while. Strangely, all the old country songs from previous albums were written in Wellington, but the new rock songs were written in the country. Andrew has no TV, no internet, just guitars hanging on the wall, a tape machine and coffee, and he's never bored.

Arch Hill are super pleased to announce that Wellington's Grand Prix will be releasing their fourth album on 27th of April.

Main man Andrew McKenzie says of the album "It is definately the most rocking album Grand Prix have made so far. We were excited going in to the studio - we had new songs, a new direction and we would be recording them live in a room together as a band for the first time. And we're happy with the results - rock that might have come from the 70's, an evolution from the dark surf sound of the previous albums."

New tracks from the album and the new singles "Traveling Companion"and "Town of Sound" can be heard on the Grand Prix Myspace page

The band are hitting the road and playing the following shows through May

Saturday April 25th - Mighty Mighty - Wellington - with Double Ya D
Friday May 8th - Cassette Number Nine - Auckland - with The Family Cactus
Saturday May 9th - Cabana - Napier - The Devils Elbow
Friday May 15th - Wunderbar - Lyttleton - The Dialtones
Saturday May 16th - Chicks, Port Chalmers - The Alpha State

We'll tell you more about the album as it comes to hand...and put those dates in your diary.

Thats right Grand Prix will be opening for Iron and Wine at the Powerstation in Auckland on 14th March, also look out for more shows from them...

Also, we found out that Surf City are opening for the Jam (or two thirds of them) at Skycity Theatre TONIGHT!