SHED Seven are to release their first studio album in 16 years, although the title and issue date still await confirmation and the songs are yet to be recorded.

First mooted in a surprise announcement by frontman Rick Witter in a December interview with BBC 6Music's Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie in Thor's Tipi in York, the record will end a studio hiatus stretching back to Truth Be Told in 2001.

"We’ve spent the last couple of years writing and secretly demoing and have more than an album's worth of material that we can’t wait to share with you," said 44-year-old Witter on the band's website, ahead of their spring recording sessions.

"We feel that now is the right time to share these with you. We're looking forward to #Shedcember2017, where it will be business as usual; you’ll get to hear all the songs you rightly should expect to hear but this time with a light sprinkling of new music to top it all off."

The album will coincide with the York band's biggest ever tour, #Shedcember2017, whose 15-date itinerary will take in three Yorkshire gigs, Sheffield O2 Academy on December 9, Leeds O2 Academy on December 18 and Hull City Hall on December 21.

Before then, new songs can be heard live in Yorkshire for the first time when the Sheds play an intimate tour warm-up at Pocklington Arts Centre on November 25, for which the 200 tickets sold out within hours of the 7.30pm show being announced.

York Press: A selection of pictures taken at Bingley Music Live 2014

Shed Seven frontman Rick Witter: "An album's worth of material that we can’t wait to share with you"

This will be preceded by an exclusive intimate acoustic set, comprising new album tracks and hits, plus a fan question-and-answer session, in The Oak Room @ The Hospital Club, London, on November 15 at 7.30pm.

The album can be pre-ordered immediately online at shedseven.com or pledgemusic.com/shedseven on download, signed CD, signed deluxe CD, signed 180g black LP, signed coloured LP (777 copies) and signed cassette (250 copies). Those who buy before 4pm on Wednesday will receive a code to access the exclusive tour ticket pre-sale in an arrangement with PledgeMusic and booking agency Gigs And Tours.

Special limited-edition versions include a signed double-disc CD with a second disc of demos and alternative versions, restricted to 777 copies, that has sold out already, as have the seven copies of a test pressing.

The ticket pre-sale will run from 9am tomorrow to 9am on Friday; general sales will open on Friday at gigsandtours.com and ticketmaster.co.uk.

Shed Seven will be joined on tour by John Power's re-formed Liverpool rock band, whose re-formed line-up played The Duchess in York in November 2015.

The Sheds notched up 15 Top 40 singles between 1994 and 2001, such as Chasing Rainbows, Disco Down, Going For Gold, On Standby, She Left Me On Friday and Getting Better. They split up in 2003 but re-formed in 2007 with a line-up of vocalist Rick Witter; lead guitarist Paul Banks; bassist Tom Gladwin; drummer Alan Leach and guitarist and keyboard player Joe Johnson, who had two years in the band in the Sheds' early days.

"Thank you for all the support we've received over the years," concluded Witter. "We’re really excited about this new chapter for Shed Seven and hope you’ll continue to be part of our journey with us, and trust me, this album will be well worth the wait."