London band The Maccabees have revealed they have started work on the follow-up to 2009’s ‘Wall Of Arms‘ after performing an as-yet-unnamed new track at last weekend’s Reading/Leeds festivals.
Speaking to BBC 6Music, the band’s guitarist Felix White explained progress has been relatively slow, but that two songs are now taking shape. “We’re getting there. We’ve got two songs into a playable shape and there are hundreds of ideas, he said. “It’s starting to feel really good and like music that we’ve never done before. It’s better and exciting and something to wake up and think about.”
While on the new song unleashed at Reading/Leeds he said: “We played it and it didn’t feel embarrassing, which is always a good first sign. If you don’t cringe when you first play something then it’s probably alright. We got away with it.”
White also spoke of the group’s continuing evolution as songwriters, and declared that their biggest influences are set to come through with more clarity on the new record. “There’s a lot more thinking about everything that’s right for the song and the atmosphere of the song,” he explained.
“I think this record is starting to sound more genuinely like our influences – like Bowie or The National. Before, we’d just be a band going at it in a room but now we’re starting to realise more of our ambition.”