BIG Dog singer Kermit has vowed that the madness that nearly cost him his life during his time in Black Grape will not haunt his new project.

Speaking exclusively to Pulse, the straight talking frontman revealed that doctors had written him off after a severe bout of septicaemia during the second Black Grape tour.

He said: "We'd been in Spain and I'd done some mad stuff. When I arrived back in England my body was covered in blotches".

But thanks to his quick thinking girlfriend, the singer was rushed into hospital, where doctors battled to save his life.

He said: "I was practically dead. At one point I could have just closed my eyes and died but I didn't want to go like that."

Now rejuvenated, Kermit is fronting his new band and is hungry for success, rather than the party lifestyle.

He said: "It's like a fresh start. I'm really vibed up for it." Featuring three Hyndburn musicians in Mark Jones, Danny Williams and Ged Lynch, the band release their debut single next month.

Big Dog was formed two years ago as the local trio worked out demos at Mark's MJM studio in Oswaldwistle, but the group only really clicked when Kermit started putting in vocal ideas.

Once signed to Jive records they relocated to Wales, where their debut album was recorded in a remote shepherd's cottage on the side of Snowdon.

Kermit said: "If we'd gone into a studio in Manchester we would have bogged down with egos, and people just hanging around."

But working in the middle of nowhere proved to be the ideal location and now the band are itching to get their music out.

First single, Raise The Alarm, is out on April 2 and includes an early demo of Natural disaster, which was recorded in Oswaldtwistle.