The Cranberries open up about 'hard year' ahead of 'In the End' album release featuring Dolores O'Riordan's vocals

The Cranberries have opened up about the "hard year" they have had following the tragic death of their lead singer Dolores O'Riordan in January 2018.

To mark the anniversary of her death the Irish rock band will release the first song from their latest album, 'In the End', on January 15.

The new material will include vocals from O'Riordan recorded before her death.

In an interview with ITV News, the band said it had been a difficult process.

"You've got really good memories but then it's kind of a bit of disbelief as well," lead guitarist Noel Hogan said. "You keep kind of expecting her to call or email you know as I guess many people who have lost anyone would expect."

Ms O'Riordan was found dead in her bathroom at London's Park Lane Hilton hotel last year.

But the iconic singer's music legacy lives on in the band's latest album, Mr Hogan told ITV News.

  • Watch the full interview with the band:

He said: "I think we're just excited for it to be out there and for people to hear it because we've lived with it for so long under secrecy.

"People will be really really impressed with the vocals, especially the lyrics, they're really from Dolores' heart."

He added: "She left such a massive collection of songs, such huge iconic songs.

"For anybody to leave even one is a great thing but to have the collection you know, and it's great to see that people have focused on her music after her death."

But the process of making their album was far from easy.

"The first few days were a bit strange but then once we got into it we just got going," bassist Mike Hogan told ITV News.

But he added "you were expecting her to come in the door at some stage and say it wasn't right".

The band said the album is "closure" for them and described its songs as "classic."