Alternative rock band The Verve have been putting together a series of new songs at a Richmond recording studio.

The group's bassist, Simon Jones, revealed on his blog he and other members of the band, including guitarist Nick McCabe, had spent last month holed up in Terry Britten's State of the Ark studio.

He wrote: "It's brimming with vintage gear, an old E.M.I desk (Pink Floyd -'Dark Side Of The Moon' era) and billions of guitars, old analogue gear, a treasure trove of effects pedals (Nick like a kid in a toy shop!)."

He added: "The sessions have been pretty amazing, we certainly have an embarrassment of riches where material is concerned!"

The band whose hits include Bitter Sweet Symphony and the Drugs Don't Work are due to hit the road in a series of reunion shows in November and December.

The new songs include Sit And Wonder, Judas, Appalachian Springs, Mona Lisa and Rather Be.

The group which formed in Wiggan in 1989 split a decade later only to reunite this year.