AN unsigned band from Urmston has taken the unusual step of bringing out a film.

The Rubys are about to release a DVD of them in the studio making their latest album with former front man of The Mock Turtles, Martin Coogan.

Guitarist Barry Kirkwood said the record - a title has yet to be decided - is due for release in May.

The DVD, called Spirits Are High, also contains footage of the band playing new material from the album at Manchester's Deaf Institute after they took a 12 month break from playing live.

Martin Coogan, brother of comedian Steve, was a tough taskmaster, said Barry.

He said: "It's been fantastic - we recorded the first album Limelight Parasite with Martin and his producer Dean Glover and it was just a very natural choice to go back and work with Martin. He's something of a slave driver but he knows and understands our music so it made the process a lot easier this time."

Barry said the decision to part company with the group's record label, Affinity Records, wasn't taken lightly,

He said: "We weren't progressing as much as we thought we would. Most bands think the pinnacle of their career would be to sign with a label but sometimes it can be quite restricting, Not so much in terms of the music we write but what we release and when we release it. We just wanted to express ourselves and get back out there as an unsigned band."

Barry thinks The Rubys are the only unsigned band to release a film.

* Spirits Are High will be available on iTunes and Amazon fromDecember 1.

The movie is a precursor to the second Rubys album due in May 2015, provisionally entitled Shine, and the new singles, the first of which - "Blinded by Science" - will be released on January 12.

The Rubys play Manchester Academy on December 6.