PJ Harvey’s ‘Recording in Progress’ project begins at Somerset House

PJ Harvey has begun recording her ninth album live and in public from within a box made of one-way glass as part of a new art installation, NME has reported.

The project, titled ‘Recording in Progress’, started on Friday (16 January 2015) at London’s Somerset House. The 45-minute sessions enable fans to see how the singer, her band and two well known producers go about their work in the studio, and tickets sold out in just one hour.

Harvey has once again teamed up with Flood and John Parish for the making of the new album – her first since the award-winning Let England Shake in 2011.

Attendees have been warned, however, that there is no guarantee they will see a moment of musical magic during their visit, and that they could even end up spending their whole allotted slot watching an instrument being tuned due to the process being something of a "lottery."

"I want ‘Recording In Progress’ to operate as if we’re an exhibition in a gallery," Harvey said. "I hope visitors will be able to experience the flow and energy of the recording process."

According to those lucky enough to be there on Friday, Harvey began by starting work on a new song Near The Memorials To Vietnam and Lincoln, which sees her play the violin, harmonica and hurdy-gurdy.

‘Recording in Progress’ runs until 14 February.