Dubai-based pop-rock outfit Behold The Locus have completed work on new single “Shepherd” and aim to complete their debut full-length, Amplifier, after the summer. For founder Fabian Martin, the band’s guitarist and principal songwriter, the new album offers the opportunity to learn from the experience gleaned during the recording of their 2010 self-titled EP. “On the first [record], I basically produced it myself. I never actually thought it was gonna end up on sale in Virgin, so we were just happy to have kind of a good product that we could send to friends and sell at gigs. At the time, we were like, ‘It’s good enough.’” For Amplifier, the group have been working with local producer Dylan Ellis, which has enabled Martin to concentrate solely on the music. “As I listened back [to the EP], I realized that you need that outside perspective from professional, qualified producers that you trust.”

Amplifier also sees a change in lineup for the band. Previous lead singer Richard Wilson has left the group (amicably, Martin insists) to launch his own business, and has been replaced by original frontman Ricardo Gordon. Gordon, who recorded the majority of the vocals on Behold The Locus’s EP before taking time off to work on his own material, is the only other original member of the band to appear on the new album. “Apart from Ricardo’s vocals, you wouldn’t be able to actually connect us to the first EP,” says Martin. “[The new sound] is still melodic, but I would say that, music-wise, Dylan has really taken us to another level.”

Leading the charge is “Shepherd,” released this week, for which the band have just completed a music video. Moodier and more anthemic than their poppier, early material, the track marks a step up for the band that Martin hopes will continue. Alongside working on Amplifier, he also hopes to organize more major shows for the band. “We’re in touch with a couple of venues to do our own concerts. We’re definitely going to do a show before Ramadan, as a precursor to the album launch. We just want to test the waters, since it’ll be our first independent gig. We don’t wanna learn some tough lessons when we launch the album. We’ll learn from this one, and when we do the launch, we’ll have it under our belt.”