Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train, ex-Spock’s Beard), Neal Morse (Transatlantic, NMB), and Ross Jennings (Haken, Novena) have announced that they will release a second D'Virgilio, Morse, Jennings album, Sophomore, through InsideOut Music on November 10.
The trio's second album follows last year's well-received Troika, which saw the three musicians leaning on rich vocal harmonies and largely acoustic-led music.
“I think there was always a plan in the back of everybody's minds about doing a second one," says D'Virgilio. "We just got the conversation started and then started checking out some tunes. There were a lot of songs that were a little less fleshed out than with the first album, but once we got the ball rolling, it kind of went really fast."
“I've never been part of a group that was like this one," adds Morse. "Most people know I'm a big CSN fan and I love Yes’s three-part harmonies and The Beatles as well. My dad was a choir director, so harmonies are in my blood! DMJ is a special group that is its own unique cup of tea and has such a nice flavor. Great blend. The main thing for me is to be working on good songs; it doesn't matter to me who writes them or necessarily that much about styles. If the songs are good, then I'm all about it.”
“I'm a huge fan of country and folk music, I love the three-part harmony style," Jennings admits. "As a vocalist known for progressive metal releases, prior to forming the band I could never have predicted that I'd be considered to be part of a group making music like this. It's still mind-blowing to me since I'd never officially recorded and released any music of this genre to prove that I can do it. Making these records with Nick and Neal has been such a pleasant and rewarding experience. It's funny how things work out sometimes!”
The band have recorded several new videos, the first time the three have actually worked together in person, and the first of which, Anywhere The Wind Blows, will be released on September 8. It gave the three the first chance to sing together in person.
“Since we were there, we decided to try a little live performance," says D'Virgilio. "We've never sang together before in person, but it came together very quickly. It's a very natural thing and I think bodes well for us getting out there on the road and hopefully doing some live shows."
Pre-order information will be announced soon.
