The Church’s Steve Kilbey writing songs with Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs

While neither side has officially announced anything, it appears that Steve Kilbey of The Church and The Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli may have begun work in Australia on the new musical project that Kilbey first hinted at last July after he jumped on stage with the reunited Whigs in Sydney to help perform “One Day” off his band’s 1983 album Seance.

Following that performance, Kilby posted a lengthy piece on his blog about meeting and instantly clicking with Dulli (“We have begun to tentatively discuss working together. I really believe if it happens it will be some record. I mean we are both exactly on the same page here”) and playing with the Whigs (“It was loud. I jumped around. The people liked it. Very addictive!”).

Then, last week, on his blog in a post whose title could be referencing the Whigs’ Gentlemen, Kilbey mentions a “mystery guest artist may or may not arrive tomorrow.” That same day, Dulli posted a photo of Kilbey — seen above — on his Facebook page tagged as being “near Bondi, New South Wales.” Then, a few days later, the Whigs’ Facebook page re-posted the video of Kilbey performing with the band in Sydney.

The hints have been enough to excite fans of both artists, and they come as rumors circulate of renewed tension within The Church — something Kilbey acknowledges in an interview published last week by the Sydney Morning Herald. Kilbey is quoted in the story as saying:

“We’re going through a bit of a crisis at the moment with each other. But if we survive this and come out the other end … I think there are still a few more good albums to make and a few more good tours and new songs to write. If we do keep going, we’re not going to be on the nostalgia circuit.”

Stay tuned for more details as they emerge.

In the meantime, revisit that performance of “One Day” below.

UPDATE: Steve Kilbey has confirmed the Greg Dulli collaboration on his blog, writing:

greg dulli has been in sydney writing songs with me indeed
we certainly have got some good stuff
it is has been a great productive time

Video: The Afghan Whigs and Steve Kilbey, “One Day,” Factory Theatre, Syndey, Austrlia, 7/26/12

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• Video: Steve Kilbey joins The Afghan Whigs to perform The Church’s ‘One Day’ in Sydney