Singer ANETTE OLZON (ex-NIGHTWISH) checks in with the following songwriting update:

"I just finished writing my new song that I've been working on for some weeks... This time I am doing the lyrics in Swedish and it was a bit hard but also challenging to do that, and now I've just sent it to my friend Fredrik Bergh to see how it will sound after the music is added. Since I don't play instruments so well, I always need help with recording. That, and Fredrik is fast and really good at what he does.

The way we work is that I sing the song and record it directly in to Garage Band and set the tempo I want it to have. Then I write down the lyrics and also add little comments to Fredrik (on) how I have thought the song should be "built". Then I send the song to iTunes and email lyrics and the song file to Fredrik and voila! - his magic can start working.

I love the technology of today, making it so easy to create music, even when we live far apart in the country!"

As reported earlier this week, Olzon will guest on the upcoming self-tiled debut album from SAPPHIRE EYES – featuring ALYSON AVENUE Niclas Olsson and lead singer Thomas Bursell, to be released on November 30th via Avenue Of Allies.

Niclas and Thomas, who recorded the vocals for seven album tracks, are joined by two other male Swedish singers Mikael Erlandsson (LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM, SALUTE) who sings lead vocals on two songs and Mike Andersson (CLOUDSCAPE) who handles the vocal duties on one track. Anette Olzonand Arabella Vitanc recorded backing vocals for two songs each.

Guitar contributions on Sapphire Eyes come from Sven Larsson (STREET TALK, LIONVILLE), Rik Priem (FROZEN RAIN), Emil Knabe and Christopher Dahlmann. Mikey K Nilsson (NASTY IDOLS) also performs guitars and Göran Forssén does the bass.

The recording line-up is completed by bassists Thomas Löyskä and Mats Ståhl as well as Francesco Jovino (U.D.O., HARDLINE) on drums.

The album was produced by Niclas Olsson. It was mixed and mastered by Anders “Theo” Theander at RoastingHouse Studios Studio 1, Malmö, Sweden. All drums were recorded by Alessandro Del Vecchio at Ivorytears Music Works, Somma Lombardo, Italy. Executive producer was Gregor Klee.

Artwork for the album is below: