Bear's Den talk about their latest record ahead of Birmingham O2 Institute appearance

The Ivor Novello-nominated duo, Andrew Davie and multi-instrumentalist Kev Jones, were offered those slots to coincide with the release of their second album, Red Earth and Pouring Rain.

And they're on the road this month for a seven-date UK tour, which reaches Birmingham's O2 Institute on Wednesday.

For Bear's Den, however, coming of age hasn't been without growing pains.

"It's been an amazing three years," says singer-guitarist Davie, looking back over a hectic schedule which has seen the band take their evocative, passionate music to audiences across the UK, Europe, America, Canada and Australia.

"But being on the road so much pushes friendships to the limit, and really affects your relationships outside of it. You get extreme highs and lows." Those experiences informed the latest record.

Inspired by – among other things – the paintings of Edward Hopper, the short stories of Raymond Carver, and film director Robert Altman's Short Cuts – it is both erudite and intensely personal, defying trends and easy labelling.

Musically, it also sees a startling progression. Following the amicable departure of guitarist Joey Haynes they are now a six-piece touring unit built around a nucleus of Davie and Jones.

While the band's folk roots are still evident, they now come cloaked in the lush alchemy of 70s and 80s FM rock: Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and, in particular, the nocturnal ambience of Bruce Springsteen's Darkness On The Edge Of Town, alongside more contemporary artists such as The National and Sufjan Stevens.

"We spent a lot of time on the road and that music really fitted our head space," says Davie. "It felt like the natural musical progression. We wanted to make a great album for driving at night," adds Kev. "There's a technical level to that – matching the sounds to Davie's lyrics – but thematically, a good metaphor for the mood is the idea of driving forwards while looking in the rear view mirror."

The band headed to Rockfield Studios in Wales with long-term producer Ian Grimble. Working 15 hours a day, assisted by touring musicians Jools Owen (brass/drums) and Marcus Hamblett (synths) their new sonic template took shape, with Kev providing bass and lead guitar on a vintage Les Paul he picked up on tour in Nashville.

"We come from playing acoustic instruments, where in a band you constantly need to be playing in order to create interest," adds Davie.