AFTER a line-up change Brighton-based Death Ape Disco are starting work on their second album. Guitarist Kit Brice introduces the band and their upcoming PledgeMusic campaign.

“The band’s ever-evolving - there have been 20-odd members down the years. I started jamming with the guys in 2005, a good excuse for hanging out, drinking and smoking.

“The first official line-up was in 2010. By the time we recorded [debut album] Supervolcano in 2012 we had a settled line-up of me, Jamie Boulstridge [guitar], Harry Lehane [drums], Rob [former vocalist] and Sam [former bassist]. As we go into album two there’s me, Jamie and Harry still holding on.

“We have pieces of stoner, grunge, hardcore, southern rock, sludge. People aren’t sure where we fit in. Currently I’m listening to a lot of Torche, Baroness, Clutch and Cancer Bats.

“The end of our time with Rob as lead singer was tough. We were very good friends, but he had studying commitments, he felt his voice was giving out, and his heart wasn’t in it any more.

“To get our first taste of a big festival, on the Metal Hammer stage at Desertfest, to sign a record deal, and suddenly everything’s dissolving in front of you, that’s not a good feeling. Our last show with Rob was Brighton’s Mammothfest, and the vibe in the band at that point was not healthy, for me.

“I knew if we didn’t make the second record I’d regret it later in life. Having cast a wide net with auditions, [vocalist] Trim and Ben [Harris-Hayes, keyboards] were stand-out candidates.

“It’s a new dynamic having three singers, and both guys are leaders, with their own voices. Combined with the keys a whole new world has opened up. The result is a dense, musical, involved sound I’ve not heard anywhere else. Certainly we have momentum now, a lot of petrol powering many engines.

“We’re working every night and day on the second album. We have a bigger canvas to work on, so there is this huge space for exploration. The writing is dense, exuberant, heavy.

“We are launching a PledgeMusic project in May to help with funding the album. Pledgers will get some very cool exclusives and regular video updates as we go about our work.

“We can only be a band thanks to the support of those who care about us, and we really appreciate everyone who does. This is all I want to do in life.”

Death Ape Disco play a free show at Green Door Store, in Trafalgar Arches, Brighton, on Saturday, May 9, to launch their PledgeMusic project.

• For more information visit deathapedisco.bandcamp.com; www.facebook.com/DeathApeDisco and www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXPzLCA1frM