SOUTH Cumbrian acoustic duo Paper Cranes are set to release their third EP, and this time, songwriter Jon Dawes said they are “doing things on our own terms.”

Jon and sister-in-law Beckah Lloyd recorded their last release in London by the Animal Farm label, but decided they wanted to be “as comfortable as possible this time round.”

The pair, joined by drummer James Muncaster, spent three days recording in a barn in Torver earlier this year.

“We wanted somewhere where the atmosphere could have an effect on the recording,” Jon explained.

“In London we had people we’d never met before who were going to be influencing the sound of the EP, whereas in Torver our audience was limited to the sheepdog in the next field and birds in the nest.”

But disaster struck when the computers crashed, losing three days of work, with Jon saying, “We’ve learned that working like that doesn’t come without complications.

“Because we took so long doing one song, we ended up deciding to just get this track out and then focus on the EP in the early part of next year.”

Parts of the EP are likely to be recorded at Kendal College, where Beckah is currently studying music and Jon also spent four years doing a Foundation Degree.

Jon said: “One thing I’ve learned from this process is that there’s no need to rush to get recordings out – it’s OK to take your time and make sure it’s right.”

The single, ‘Shadows’, was written during what was a busy festival season for Paper Cranes, and Jon describes it as “a warmer song compared to what we might normally put out.”

On Paper Cranes’ style, Jon said, “We often get pigeonholed as a folk band, but I don’t really think in those terms – it’s for other people to put a category on it.

“I’ve been playing around with the electric guitar a little bit more and we also use a synth now which means we’re able to get a few different sounds.

“I write in moods so the genre can change depending on what I’m feeling, which I quite like and hopefully it will keep people interested.”

Paper Cranes have a support slot for The Feud at Bootleggers, Kendal, tonight (Thursday).