The Strokes‘ long awaited fourth studio album will be released in March, according to the band’s bassist Nikolai Fraiture.
Fraiture told BBC Radio 1 this morning (5th Jan) the as-yet-untitled album is now being mixed and will feature ten new songs. “In terms of progress it’s finished, it’s recorded, we are in the mixing stage at the moment and it should be out in March,” he said.
Later, the bass player described the record, their first since 2006’s ‘First Impressions Of Earth‘, as the rightful follow-up to their second LP ‘Room On Fire‘. “Sonically I feel like it’s the album that should have been made between ‘Room On Fire‘ and ‘First Impressions Of Earth‘,” he explained. “It has that kind of better produced quality, but still a classic sound.”
Originally pencilled in for release late last year, the recording sessions have been dogged with delays, with frontman Julian Casablancas finally confirming the album’s completion in November.
Fraiture also outlined the group’s plans to extensively tour the new record, but stopped short of revealing any cast iron plans: “It’s tough with our band because we’re five people who have very loud voices, so it’s hard to get everything on the same page.”
One date already announced will see The Strokes headline Spain’s 2011 Benicàssim Festival, which is due to take place between 14th-17th July.