The Islanders.

Art Brut are now a classic rock band. 10 years and a Best Of. Hooray.

Because we've reached this landmark stage in our career  the next step for me obviously would be to flounce of and make an incredibly pretentious rock opera. Luckily I've avoided this common pitfall by flouncing off and working on a lo-fi musical.

The Islanders is a true story about a trip I took to the Isle Of Wight with my then girlfriend Amy in the late nineties.

Amy tells the story as a monologue, while our friend the folk genius Jim Moray and myself tell my side of the story. My version is upbeat and optimistic, Amy's is a much more honest appraisal of the situation at the time and quite a bit darker.

We think its pretty unique to tell the story of the end of a relationship, with us both on stage.

Sorry perhaps I should have prefaced that with *Spoiler Alert; We are not still a couple 16 years later*

With Art Brut my writing is very autobiographical and The Islanders feels like an extension of that. Albeit this time with me being subject of somebody else's autobiographical writing for a change.

I feel Amy has managed to give just enough information about us to make me squirm but thankfully not enough to make me really embarrassed.

However I'm the first to admit that I have quite a high threshold for being embarrassed and feel I should warn you that at one point during the show there is a slide projection of me sitting in the bath. (From the waist up so don't get too worried/excited)

We've already had a run through of The Islanders at the Ferment Festival at the Old Vic in Bristol and now with their support, the support of Show And Tell and the support of Ideas Tap we're going back for a short run at The Old Vic in April before we take it to to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a month in August .

You can buy tickets to the show in April HERE 

You can like The Islanders on Facebook HERE

You can follow The Islanders on Twitter HERE

And read a small interview with Amy and Myself HERE

And I'll give you more information about Edinburgh nearer the time.

As well as being a stage show, we're also working on a book with Nasty Little Press and some downloads of the songs too. Steve Horry is illustrating the book and as you can see from the cover above it is going to be excellent.

Hopefully see you in April, all love Eddie Argos.