With a new bassist has come new inspiration for The Bullycats.

The five piece from Winchester have recorded two new songs at Valley Studios, based in Winnall, and are off on a mini tour of the south of England in the New Year with Brighton-based band Teasing Lulu.

They hope that a record company will take them under their wing so the band can produce an album.

The band is made up of Steve Petty, lead singer, Andrew Steen (Steeny), lead guitar, Alex Whitwell, guitar, Ben Perry, drums, Jerome Cross, bass, who replaced Dan Everett.

Alex said: "We have just recorded two new songs and we are hoping to release them in the new year but we want to try to promote it. Up till now we have been giving away free CDs, but now we are trying to do a tour and to promote the CD."

"The single is the first thing and hopefully from that, a record company will take it further."

Jerome added: "We have no time or funding to make an album at the moment. Everyone has got day jobs and we can't just put them on hold to write 10 new songs, it would take a year and we are very fussy."

He said of his new role in the Bullycats: "It's awesome. It's fun doing stuff again. We want to play energetic, good fun rock music that people can dance and sing along to. That's my mission since joining the band and we just want to make the band the best we can."

The band's songs can be heard at www.bullycats.com and www.myspace.com/bullycats and they will play live at The University of Winchester on Tuesday, December 12.