The feel-good factor is high on the list of priorities for Swindon band Mary Stares.

Having fun while performing and letting the audience see the funny and friendly side of the musicians is a must.

"We are all friends and work together as a unit,'' said James Merrit, bass guitarist with the band.

Mary Stares have been resting for the past year resting in the sense of not gigging but travelling to different locations and taking time out to write a whole new set of songs.

"We took time to relax and find ourselves again. We were all exhausted after our tour,'' said James.

The band travelled all over the country to places such as Cardiff and Brighton as well as quiet spots in Swindon, finding the right places to write."We took more time thinking about our emotions while writing the songs,'' said James.

Mary Stares now has 12 new songs under their belts and are currently working on their new album with the working title of Just Open About Our Natural Embellishment.

The musicians hope to release the CD in February.

"We are saying to people we are serious about getting signed because we want people to hear our music more.''

The band are also under new management by Paul Tyson who is broadening their gig base. The feel of their music is more intense, more personal.

"We want people to feel a personal attachment to our songs and leave the gig feeling good,'' said James.

Other members of the band are Greg Bolger, lead singer, Jay Ritchings, drummer and Kevin Merritt lead guitar.

Mary Stares are playing at the Mail Coach in Fleet Street tonight.

If you play in a band in the Wiltshire area and have a web page go to our Local Bands page and email us, and we will provide a link to it from the Local Bands section at our This Is Wiltshire site.