Alex Lloyd's latest baby

Not only is his wife Amelia soon due to give birth to the couple's fourth child but he is also preparing to release his first album in more than five years.

Titled Urban Wilderness, Lloyd has begun road-testing songs from the forthcoming album (due for release later this year) on a limited three-date run of shows, including one in Newcastle next week.

Not only is it the first musical output under his name in years but also the first headline shows he has performed in Australia since relocating to London six years ago.

"I guess I'm kind of putting my foot in the water again because I haven't been around for a while," Lloyd said.

Lloyd packed up his life in 2007 to move to London with Amelia, leaving behind a successful career in Australia that began in 1998 with release of his the debut album Black The Sun, which won him the ARIA for best new artist in 1999.

The follow-up in 2001 Watching Angels Mend produced the breakthrough single Amazing, which topped Triple J's Hottest 100 poll for 2001.

Lloyd released three more studio albums, including the independently released Good In the Face of a Stranger in 2008, but has spent the majority of the last few years dedicating his time to raising his kids Jake, Isaac and one-year-old Elvis.

Now based back in Australia, Lloyd is awaiting the arrival of his fourth child with Amelia, who is due to give birth in May.

'Yes, four kids. Don't ask me how that happened," Lloyd laughed.

"It can be a bit of a mad house.

"I've got a one, six and eight-year-old, so there's no spare time any more."

The family is living on the Central Coast, where Lloyd has been recording his new album with country musician and long-time friend Shane Nicholson in the production seat.

Lloyd said the new material had elements of the sound his listeners would be familiar with but with a "slightly bluesier flavour" and "a bit more space" in the music.

Most of the songs were written over the last five years in London, whenever Lloyd had the opportunity to put pen to paper in between working on other projects and being on dad duty.

"The title reflects the last five years that I wrote it over.

"I guess because I'm a dad and there's not as much time to do things for yourself, I felt like I was in an urban wilderness being in London," Lloyd said.

"Also I think it reflects just that sense of wilderness and being a little bit lost musically. The songs were only coming once every few months. I'm really surprised actually, now at the tail-end of making the record, that they all work reasonably well together - just because that's such a spread out period of time.

"Writing is essentially quite a selfish thing, you know, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's just a very self-absorbed kind of thing to do. It's usually your point of view from one's self, so I guess just finding that time to commit to something is harder these days. It takes a longer time to make a record."

Working on the 2011 film Mad Bastards also put his own music on the backburner.

Lloyd not only composed music for the soundtrack but also starred - as a musician - in the film, which looks at life in indigenous Australia.

Set in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, Lloyd flew back and forth between Australia and the UK to work on the project, joining the film crew on set in the outback and writing music for the film with Broome's The Pilgram Brothers.

"That was a really cool project and it kind of kept me coming back to Australia for the whole time I was in London, because it took five years to make.

"It was a labour of love, so I'd go up to the Kimberley and work with these guys called the Pilgram Brothers who make really eclectic Islander music. I'd go with them on these trips. The director would say 'You should come' and it was such an amazing experience that I just wanted to do it."

Lloyd is keen to work on other film projects but in the meantime he is looking forward to re-introducing himself in Australia.

He is unsure whether the album will be released independently or through a major label, but sounds relaxed about the future.

"At the moment I'm kind of happy to see how this record goes and just take it from there," Lloyd said.

"I'm trying to be laid back about it because I know that it's a different time now and different era. I think you've just got to see what happens these days.

"I'm not really attached to any major labels. I don't know how I'm going to release this album to be honest. I haven't really worked that out yet - it could be through a major but I certainly don't want to be tied to a major if that makes sense.

"I need to be able to work and if things work out - great. If they don't then I've got to go earn a living as well.

"I'm just trying to take it as it comes and just hope that the music speaks for itself and people like it."

Alex Lloyd performs at Lizotte’s Newcastle on April 4 with support from Chris Taylor. Bookings: lizottes.com.au.