While it might still be very cold outside, Spring is most definitely in Metisse's air right now. Skully is audibly beaming down the phone line.

"I'm pretty good. No, in fact I'm mega-fab," he raves. "As good as that! I'm really excited about all the stuff going on in France at the moment. We're signed to a new BMG affiliated company there and Jesus, they're brilliant this company! For example, we supplied them with all the photos for the album and they're sending back all the artwork. They're actually listening to what we're saying, which makes a nice change! We weren't even asked if we liked the cover or not for the Wildstar one, so we're well chuffed with ourselves. We have a French television crew coming down in an hour and Aida is sitting here beside me looking like a balloon. She's nine months pregnant and is going to have a baby on 14th April. We're calling him Fred the drummer for the moment."

In addition to being kept busy with an expectant baby and new record deals, Skully and Aida are still overwhelmed by the response in Ireland to their current single 'My Fault', a recent hotpress Single of the Fortnight which was adopted as the official signature tune for the Woman's Aid 16 Days Campaign. The song is very special and sensitive as it deals with domestic violence and an abusive relationship Aida was in prior to meeting Skully.

"About 80% of the fanmail from Ireland that comes in on the website is just from women talking and its so heart-warming because that's what music is about," states Skully. "Aida walks around town now and people come up to her and say "well done!" and "Gutsy move, I've been there too..." and so on. I'm very optimistic about the future here because I think we're hearing a lot more about abuse because society is improving. It was hidden and covered up for so long, and in exposing it people become very aware that it is wrong."

The latest chapter in the ever-fascinating story of Metisse is their involvement in the Business Expansion Scheme. The most successful music Business Expansion Scheme (BES) to date was carried out by Dublin accountants Noone Casey on behalf of Jack L in Spring 2000.

"We were in a situation before Christmas that the only alternative we could see was to sign to another record company having been badly burnt the first time round," explains Skully. "Suddenly Noone Casey approached us with this idea so then we realised that we didn't have to resign. We could do what we wanted and not listen to A&R people go on about how radio friendly we should be. The BES scheme is really a gem of genius. Before we even made it official and started to put the ads in the newspaper, a pile of people had contacted Noone Casey about it. The people investing in the record essentially become the record company and not to put anybody down, but it's a lot more exciting than investing in a guesthouse in Bally-go-Backwards!

"Noone Casey chose us because they were looking for a group with a more international appeal," continues Skully. "We were making tracks into France and the States they reckoned that this was the right horse to back! Its quite interesting to meet all these shirts and ties because they've all been to our gigs and they know all the tracks on the album and all the words! These people are doing it because they're interested and not because it's a quick bob."

For more informationn on the Business Expansion Scheme visit visit http://www.revenue.ie/services or contact Anthony Casey at [email protected]