THE Guggenheim Grotto will release some much-anticipated new material via its new EP, Tigers, on United for Opportunity (UFO) Records, exclusively through AmieStreet.com.

This multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist Dublin trio, comprised of Kevin May, Mick Lynch and Shane Power, release five new tracks to tide fans over a month before the digital release of the band's sophomore effort, Happy the Man, later this year.

There are a pair of ukulele tunes, plus a recent single in Ireland, "Waking Up in America," and two songs off the forthcoming full-length, "Fee Da Da Dee" and "Sunshine Makes Me High." Tigers offers not just a preview of new album material, but three tracks in addition to it.

"Fee Da Da Dee" is an engaging, playful ditty with a thin spine of electronic rhythm running through it. "I can't direct the universe/I can't pull of the road and take a rest/I can't avoid the hands of time/I wish her touch was of a softer kind/and if the world decides to melt, there's nothing I can do to change her mind," sings the trio, employing pitch-perfect Beach Boy harmonies.

The ukulele might be a somewhat cheesy instrument, but with strings and trombones to accompany it the lads create a lush melody within "The Universe Is Laughing."

The band's first album, .Waltzing Alone, was released to critical acclaim in Ireland, and its first promotional single, "Philosophia," rapidly became a firm favorite on Irish airwaves. A number of influential DJs in America perked up their ears, and the band quickly gained some influential fans that fueled a word of mouth promotional campaign that led them to the folks at Apple.

.Waltzing Alone spent weeks at the top spot on the iTunes folk chart in 2007 after being chosen as iTunes Single of the Week. In January of this year, "Told You So," was chosen for the January 2008 Starbucks Hear Music sampler titled Across the Pond, on which the Guggenheim Grotto was one of only two indie acts set alongside artists such as Damien Rice, James Blunt and Amy Winehouse.

Their new CD, Happy the Man, was released in Ireland last week to rave reviews. "Combining pop, folk, soaring melodies, haunting harmonies and emotionally intelligent lyrics, their lovingly crafted sound is both completely contemporary and yet somehow timeless," raved Hot Press.

The praise and commercial success is well deserved. This is easily one of the most innovative groups of musicians I have heard this decade.

I spoke to May about the band's new EP and his plans to grow their fan base in Ireland before venturing over here in the New Year. Here's how the conversation went:

Why an EP? Why not give us the album here in the States at the same time as Ireland?

One of the reasons was because we released something in Ireland. We are pushing it here and just thought we would give some.

The full album was released in Ireland this month. What has the reaction to it been so far? What has surprised you about the reaction?

The reviews in the Irish press have been great. We got good enough reviews the first time out here at home, but we got much better press and recognition over in America. It is good for morale to get that acknowledgement on your home turf.

No reviewer is picking the exact same song as the highlight and no one song is being pointed to as the likely hit, which is cool because it speaks to the strength of the songs as a whole unit.

It sounds like the success in America was a surprise?

Very much so. We were not really setting our sights on America. We saw interest generated there without even trying. The UFO folks worked so hard to get the CD in the right hands. Mostly, that's where we spent our time because they generated a great buzz over there.

Were there things you would have done different on the first album? What lessons from that did you bring into the making of this album?

Every album you do is a statement of where you are at the time, so Waltzing Alone, I think, is a good representation of where the band was at the time. I don't think you ever make an album you are 100% happy with. You don't want to polish the edge off of it.

From the first album, we learned that the fast numbers like "Told You So" and "Wonderful Wizard" went over well live, so we wanted more songs like that for our next tour. The last album was top heavy on slow songs, which are great to listen to but not as fun to play live.

Having said that, the slower ballads are what we did best in the studio, so you can't suppress them. We are trying to make an album more upbeat and positive. We are still trying to do what we do best at the same time.

You made a big deal out of "standing up for the CD" by enclosing your last album in unique packaging, yet your success in the States was largely attributed to placement on the iTunes site. Does that strike you as ironic?

It is ironic. One of the reasons we wanted to do something special was we wanted to make a statement on the state of physical music versus digital. We wanted to make a CD for the time and place we were in at the time. We put a stake in the ground for the music we like to listen to, knowing it was moving toward digital. I would love to release an album on vinyl, but that is not practical.

Is there an average Guggenheim Grotto fan demographic that you've noticed as you play to all these audiences?

I noticed that we average in around the 29 year olds. We have a high percentage of good-looking women in there as well. We don't require uniforms at our gigs (laughs). We really have music lovers flock to us.

I know this because we aren't on the Top 40, so people who show up are probably looking pretty hard for new music. When they get there, we demand from the audience to invest time into the music as we do, and they do because they put such an effort into finding us.

"Sunshine Makes Me High" is the perfect summer song with a beautiful melody. How did that come about?

It's an embarrassing story. When I was traveling through the States, I did not drive. I was in the back of the RV while the other lads took turns at the wheel.

I bought some cheesy t-shirts to lounge around in and one was a particularly tacky one that says "sunshine makes me high." I then paired that phrase with this sunny melody I had in my head. So, I shouldn't be telling you this, but the lyrical idea came from a cheesy t-shirt.

It seemed like you were doing very innovative things to get your music out there the last time around, with soundtracks, digital marketing and the like. What do you have planned this time out?

The EP is certainly one way to uniquely get our name out.

That's the conversation that we will have with UFO. I know we are going to come over in January and spend a much longer time over there.

For more information, log onto guggenheimgrotto.com.