SAINT TROPEZ (UPDATED) - "Son Of A Plumber… are you nuts?" I say to Per over the phone. "Ha ha," he says, "yes it feels like it." Per is in Saint Tropez to finalize the mixing of his new album, and another tradition he has is to finish off in Saint Tropez. "But it's been raining until ten minutes ago," he reports.

  The album title will indeed be "Son Of A Plumber" and will initially be released in Sweden only. If the record is well received, it may be delivered "worldwide" in January, with a European/Swedish club tour to follow.

  Per & Company have recorded no less than 26 songs, and when this reporter asks for a double album Per seems intrigued, especially if there's a vinyl edition. "Vinyl? Great idea! A double vinyl album? Son Of A Plumber's white album! Ha ha!"

  The album sounds very diversified; country, pop, ballads, instrumentals et cetera. "We've recorded three, four 50-second instrumentals that we want to include," Per divulges. "Sort of like soundtracks to movies. We have pan flutes as well!"

  There will be a single off the album out in the middle or end of October, but the single has yet to be decided. Per decides to share some info about some tracks:

• Substitute (For the Real Deal)
• I Have a Party in My Head (I Hope it Never Ends)
• Keep the Radio On (This is the Perfect Song) - "A newly recorded version taken from The Lonely Boys' album." Although it started out as an unreleased Gyllene Tider-song.
• Making Love Or Expecting Rain - "It is
  a line from a Bob Dylan song, no need to speculate guys!"
• Hey Mr DJ (Won't You Play Another Love Song) - "A country duet with Helena."
• A nine-minute medley including a falsetto blues and "Are You An Old Hippie, Sir?"
• I Never Quite Got Over the Fact that the Beatles Broke Up - "This one makes you happy, possibly an album closer, we have a few."
• Drowning in Wonderful Thoughts About Her - "Probably the first track of the album".

  "My thoughts regarding this project was to sort of start a one man band, like Badly Drawn Boy. And also, we recorded no demos for this project. I played the songs for Christoffer and Clarence, and they were like the evil jury in [American] Idol. They then said if they liked the songs or not. If they didn't - we didn't record it." Per tells TDR. He also mentions that they had somewhat strange recording techniques making this album. They would tell Helena to sing something and if she asked how or what, they would say "improvise." This has given some strange, but great results, with lots of "la la la la la" but also other interesting effects.

  Regarding the sleeve, Anton Corbijn took the pictures this time around, just like he did with Per's previous solo album, "Mazarin." Most of the pictures are taken in Christoffer's garden and some in London, while the sleeve pic itself is taken in London.

  The only thing Per didn't tell us was how the guitars really were tuned after all…

  Update Sept. 30: The album has been delayed one week due to technical issues. The new date is November 23.