Maximo Park frontman Paul Smith says that he hopes the band will release their third album in the New Year.

Smith’s comments come after the band played a special concert at the Forum in London last night (May 29th).

The show, which was organised to raise money for The Royal Marsden Hospital and The No Surrender Charitable Trust, saw the band premiere two new tracks - ‘Tanned’ and ‘Questioning’.

Speaking to XFM, Smith said that both songs have “a funny groove to them.”

"'Tanned' has a lurching groove to it like The Fall. And 'Questing' has a head-noddy groove,” he said.

“It's quite an uplifting song, whereas 'Tanned' is quite dark but also has this big lift in it."

Smith said he didn’t want to be drawn on a specific release schedule but said that he couldn’t see why the band wouldn’t be in the studio by the autumn.

“Personally I'd like to get the songs out January or February next year,” he added.

(by Jason Gregory)