the trio to the fans

A Letter to the Trio Fan Club

November 2026

From Jason, Scott & Dom

Hello everyone,

It's been a little while since we've properly sat down and written to you, and we thought it was about time we gave you an update on what's been happening behind the scenes.

First of all, thank you. The last stretch of the Midnight Hour tour has been something we'll remember for a very long time. From the American shows to our time in Lagos, and eventually bringing the tour to its final night in France, we've had an incredible experience playing these songs around the world.

There's something quite strange about finishing a tour. You spend months living out of suitcases, travelling between cities, soundchecking, playing shows, and seeing familiar faces in different countries. Then suddenly, it's over. You wake up the next morning and there's nowhere you need to be.

Well, almost nowhere.

Because we've found ourselves back in the studio.

Back in the studio with James Young

We're very happy to let you know that we're working again with James Young, who produced Midnight Hour. Getting back into the studio with James felt like a natural decision. He understands how the three of us work, knows when to let a song breathe, and isn't afraid to tell us when we've spent three hours arguing over something nobody listening will ever notice.

We've started recording early ideas and demos for what will become our third studio album.

It's still early days, and we're deliberately trying not to put too much pressure on ourselves. There are no deadlines hanging over us, no tour dates to rush back for, and no expectations that we need to have everything figured out immediately.

We're just enjoying making music together again.

James has been particularly helpful in encouraging us to experiment with different instruments and arrangements. We've been going back to some of the acoustic approaches that started Midnight Hour, but we've also been bringing in some sounds that might surprise you.

The guitars are coming out

A few of you have asked what we've been using in the studio, so we thought we'd share some of the equipment making its way into these early sessions.

Jason has been spending plenty of time with his Martin D-28 and Gibson J-45. Both have been central to the acoustic writing, particularly on some of the newer songs. The Fender Stratocaster is still making appearances, alongside his Gibson Les Paul and Telecaster.

Scott has been experimenting with his new Fender Telecaster, which has finally made it into the studio after receiving what can only be described as an unreasonable amount of attention during the tour.

Jason: "It was a nice guitar until Scott started introducing it to everyone like it was a new band member."

Scott: "It deserves an introduction. It's been doing some excellent work."

Scott has also been using his Fender Precision Bass and Jazz Bass, with a few different tones being explored depending on the song.

Dom has been bringing a slightly different approach to the percussion. We've been recording live drums, experimenting with acoustic percussion, and occasionally trying things that James has politely described as 'interesting.'

Dom: "That's producer language for 'please stop doing that.'"

Jason: "Usually, yes."

We've also brought out mandolins, slide guitars, harmonicas, piano, and a few instruments that haven't appeared on our records before. We're trying to let the songs dictate what we use rather than deciding on a sound first.

A few song titles to share

We know how much you enjoy hearing about new material, so we thought we'd give you a little glimpse of some of the songs currently being worked on.

Three titles we're particularly excited about are:

• Storyteller

• Ghost Town

• West Bound

Storyteller started with an acoustic guitar idea and has grown into something with a much bigger arrangement than we originally expected. It's about memory, the stories we tell ourselves, and how those stories change as we get older.

Ghost Town is a little darker. It has a spacious guitar sound, a fairly driving rhythm, and a chorus that we're really enjoying playing. It's one of those songs that began quietly and somehow became quite loud.

West Bound is probably the most traditionally Americana-influenced of the three. It has a travelling feel to it, with acoustic guitars and a melody that James has been encouraging us to keep relatively simple.

These are all working titles, of course. We have learned not to get too attached to names before an album is finished.

There are plenty of other ideas floating around, and we're not ready to reveal a tracklist just yet.

Scott and Dom are bringing their own songs

One of the most exciting parts of these sessions has been the material Scott and Dom have brought into the room.

For a long time, Jason has been the main starting point for a lot of Trio's songwriting. That's never meant the other two haven't contributed creatively, but this time around we've made a real effort to give everybody space to bring in complete ideas.

Scott has arrived with several songs of his own, including some that began on acoustic guitar and others that came from bass lines and chord progressions. He's been exploring a more melodic songwriting approach, and there's one particular song that we're all quite excited about.

Scott: "I've had these ideas sitting around for a while. Normally I'd bring in a riff or a bass part, but this time I wanted to bring in actual songs. It's been nice having something that starts with an idea of my own and watching the other two build around it."

Dom has also brought in songs and arrangements that have surprised us. He's been working on melodies and lyrics away from the drum kit, and some of his ideas have taken the sessions in directions we probably wouldn't have found otherwise.

Dom: "I think people assume that because I'm the drummer, I just turn up and hit things. I do that as well, obviously. But I've always had songs in my head. It's been good to finally bring some of them in."

Jason: "He's actually written some really good stuff. Don't tell him I said that."

Dom: "Too late. I'm putting it on the album cover."

The three of us have always worked best when we're bringing different perspectives into the room. It's exciting to have that reflected even more in the writing this time.

A possible return to Masterplans and Revelations?

Now, this is where things get a little interesting.

With Scott and Dom bringing in their own songs, Jason having a collection of unfinished ideas, and the three of us continuing to write together, we've found ourselves with quite a lot of material.

In fact, there's been some discussion in the studio about what happens to all the songs that don't make the album.

Scott: "I think we might have enough material for another EP. We've got all these songs coming in, and not everything is going to fit on the record."

Dom: "Exactly. We could do another Masterplans and Revelations. A second one. Masterplans and Revelations 2. B-sides, rarities, whatever we want to call it."

Scott: "We've already got the name. That's half the work done."

Dom: "And we could put some of the songs that don't make album three on there. Maybe a few acoustic versions, some different recordings..."

Jason: "Hang on. We're still making the album, aren't we?"

Scott: "Yes, but we're thinking ahead."

Dom: "There's no harm in having a plan."

Jason: "Let's do the album first, then we can tease the EP or some other thing later, boys."

Scott: "He's always trying to ruin the fun."

Dom: "We'll bring it up again next week."

Jason: "I'm sure you will."

For those of you who remember our original Masterplans and Revelations: B-Sides and Rarities, you'll know that it came together from songs we had been playing around with during the Free Fall tour. It wasn't something we had originally planned to release, but eventually we felt those songs deserved their own home.

There's a possibility that history could repeat itself. We certainly aren't short of ideas, and we're enjoying having more material than we know what to do with.

But for now, we're keeping our attention on album three. We promise we'll tell you more if that conversation turns into something real.

Saying goodbye to Midnight Hour

Before we get too carried away talking about the next record, we wanted to reflect on the final night of the Midnight Hour tour in France.

It was an emotional evening for us. That album took us through a lot, both personally and musically, and playing those songs for the final time on that tour felt like closing a chapter.

We remember looking out into the crowd and thinking about how far those songs had travelled. Some of them started as little ideas in hotel rooms, some came together during rehearsals, and others changed completely once we began playing them live.

The final performance of Tomorrow was particularly special. It felt like the right way to finish the evening, and perhaps the right song to close this part of the band's story.

Jason: "I don't think any of us were quite ready for it to end. But there's something nice about knowing you've given a record everything you've got. We played those songs in so many places, and they became something different every night."

Scott: "I'll miss the tour. I won't miss the early flights."

Dom: "I'll miss the hotels. I'll miss the food. I won't miss carrying equipment up stairs."

Jason: "He's still talking about the B-stage stairs."

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who came out, sang along, bought a record, shared a photograph, or simply took the time to listen. You made Midnight Hour much bigger than the three of us could have imagined.

So, what will album three sound like?

We've been asked whether the next record will continue in the direction of Midnight Hour, and the honest answer is yes, but with a few important differences.

We think the new album will explore the more reflective, folk-influenced sides of both Free Fall and Midnight Hour. There's something about the songwriting on those records that we want to revisit: the acoustic guitars, the storytelling, the quieter moments, and the feeling of three people playing together in a room.

But we want to make one thing clear.

This record definitely has teeth.

We don't want to make an entirely soft or gentle album. There are songs with plenty of energy, heavier guitar parts, darker lyrical ideas, and some arrangements that are considerably louder than you might expect.

If Free Fall captured where we began, and Midnight Hour showed how far we'd travelled, perhaps this next record will be about looking back while figuring out where we want to go.

We're not interested in making a record that simply sounds nostalgic. We want it to feel alive, with the same urgency and excitement we had when we first started playing together.

There will be folk influences, there will be guitars, there will be some big choruses, and we're sure there will be at least one song that Dom insists needs another drum fill.

Dom: "It probably does."

Scott: "It definitely doesn't."

Jason: "We'll let James decide."

Until next time

We're going to keep working quietly for a while. We'll share more photographs from the studio, perhaps a few little glimpses of the recording process, and hopefully some more song titles as things begin to take shape.

We don't have an album name, release date, or finished tracklist to announce. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves.

And as for a possible second Masterplans and Revelations? Well, Scott and Dom have clearly got plans. We'll let them keep talking about it while we finish making the album.

For now, we're just three friends back in a room, making music, trying things, occasionally disagreeing, and enjoying the process.

Thank you for sticking with us through Free Fall, Midnight Hour, and everything in between.

There's plenty more to come.

See you soon,

Jason, Scott & Dom TRIO