After a long and drawn-out saga, it seems that 2006 could be the year that Norwich rock group Cord finally make it. See them at Norwich Arts Centre on Monday.

After a long and drawn-out saga, it seems that 2006 could be the year that Norwich rock group Cord finally make it.

After more than a year of writing, recording, re-recording, mixing and mastering their first album, the fourpiece at last know when the singles will be released.

While the band's name will still be unfamiliar to many, songwriter and vocalist James Leeds is hoping all that will have changed in just few months.

The first single, Go Either Way, will be released in April, but will not be eligible for a chart position.

So the big date comes in June when Sea of Trouble hits the shops.

“This will be a full-on chart release that we hope will get radio play and a chart position would be nice,” said James.

“We are also going to start working on videos and things like that.”

Like everything else they have done, the band want to keep creative control of their first video.

“We could have someone else deciding what it will be like for us, and it would probably be a lot of people turning up at our gig and looking cool,” he added.

“But we would like to have a say in what it will be like.”

An album, expected in the shops in September, will follow the singles.

“All these decisions really kick the whole thing off and really add momentum to what we've been doing,” said James.

“It's awesome - it's what we have been waiting for.”

With the decision-makers at Radio 1 making encouraging noises, it seems Cord's time might have finally come - two years after signing a deal with Island Records.

“Everyone is running around now trying to book us gigs to go with the release dates,” added the former Blyth Jex High School student.

The band's next gig is at the Norwich Arts Centre off St Benedict's on Monday, January 23. Tickets £6 in advance from the NAC box office on 01603 660352. Visit www.norwichartscentre.co.uk for full details.