Cold Cave's Love Comes Close was a Quietus favourite of 2009, though curiously their deeply romantic, updated chill wave is only gradually sneaking up on a wider audience. The release of their new single 'Life Magazine', a bona-fide fizzing pop banger, seems set to change this, as does a forthcoming tour of the UK and Europe.

We caught up with Cold Cave's mainman, the handsome and charming Wes Eisold, to find out all about 'Life Magazine' and their future plans. So Wes, what have you been up to lately?

"We leave in a few days for tour so just rehearsing and learning new songs. We are all living in New York now so its made this much easier. There are a few tours lined up now and we'll be back in the UK in the Spring and also for Matt Groening's ATP. Otherwise, petting the cat, getting out of the bed."

Can you tell us a little about the video? Who is the director? Did you come up with the concept?

"We wanted pure aesthetic, no narrative. Originally we wanted to base it around these Franz Gertsch paintings I'm so fond of. The cover of 'Love Comes Close' reminds me of the feel of them. So Marti Domination, who is also on the cover of the album, is the star of the video. The song is a little austere. It says enough. We just would like something nice to look at and Marti is that. It was directed by Ben Chappell and Aaron Brown."

When we last spoke, you said you were already working on the next Cold Cave record. How is that going?

The idea and backbone is very much alive. Now we just need to give it some soul and skin.

How's the new material sounding? How does it differ from Love Comes Close?

It will differ. Love Comes Close was the first time I tried to write music that sounded that way. I didn't expect anyone to hear it. It was a little rigid, you know, getting your feet wet, and now we'd like to drown. I'm very touched by 2009. I want to give everything I can to the people who supported us.

Cold Cave Tour dates:

May 7th - All Tomorrows Parties
May 8th - Nation of Shopkeepers, Leeds
May 9th - Captains Rest, Glasgow
May 10th - Deaf Institute, Manchester
May 12th - Cargo, London
May 13th - Great Escape Festival, Brighton
May 14th - Paradiso, Amsterdam
May 15th - Rotonde, Brussels
May 16th - Uebel & Gefahrlich, Hamburg
May 18th - Svenska, Stockholm
May 19th - Rust, Copenhagen
May 20th - Bang Bang Club, Berlin
May 21st - Hafen 2, Offenbach
May 22nd - Theater Palace, St. Gallen
May 23rd - Fri-Son, Fribourg
May 24th - Rocker Festival, Bologna
May 25th - Spazio 211, Turin
May 27th - Point Ephemere, Paris
May 29th - Primavera Festival, Barcelona