Liam Fray talks Courteeners' album Pink Cactus Cafe & reveals why working with DMA'S was "so easy"

19 August 2024, 19:45 | Updated: 19 August 2024, 19:53

Liam Fray on Courteeners' new album Pink Cactus Café

The Courteeners frontman discussed working with collaborators for the first time on the band's upcoming record and revealed why their track with the Aussie trio will be the first of many.

Liam Fray has discussed working with collaborators on Courteeners new album and revealed why it won't be the last time he creates with DMA'S.

Pink Cactus Cafe - which is released on 25th October 2024 - sees the Middleton rockers work with other artists for the first time, with everyone from Brooke Combes to Blossoms' Charlie Salt adding their stamp on the record.

However, Fray gushed about working with the Aussie trio on the track The Beginning Of The End and teased that the collab will be "one of many".

Recalling how he first came across the band, Fray told Radio X's Dan O'Connell on The Evening Show: "I remember being sent a demo of Delete before it came out and thinking, 'Right we've got a song here, This is unreal'.

"And a friend of mine worked on a couple of their early gigs and they did... I think it was Oxford Academy, which is 1000 cap[acity]. We were soundchecking, so there were six them [the DMA'S with their touring band] and crew and they look pretty aggro. There was about 12 of them watching us."

He went on: "And I just went, 'Is that DMA'S? They look pretty intense' And it couldn't be further from the truth. They were just the nicest guys. They just wanted to hang out."

"So we stayed in touch, we took them on tour, there's loads of things we've done with them. I love them to pieces, you know. We go out for drinks, we go out for dinner."

On working on the track for the new album, he added: "That song will be one of many, that, because it was easy."

He went on: "It's hard because when you do an album, you're proud of it [all], but I love that song."

Fray also credited COVID for giving him a reason to "lock in" collaborations with artists, making the band work in a way they never had before.

The Not Nineteen Forever singer revealed: "I know lockdown seems like ages ago, but it was that [thing of] being on my own and I thought, 'When I get out of this. I'm gonna make good on all those promises'."

He went on: 'Oh we'll do something together one day. Next time you're in the studio phone me up.' And then things happen, everybody's busy and I thought, 'No I'm locking all these people in.' And they all said yes.

"So thank you to them. I've not said that yet. Thank you to them all [...] because you've made a good record."

Pink Cactus Cafe is the follow-up to 2020's More. Again. Forever. and will be released on 25th October 2024.

Solitude Of The Night Bus was the first single released from the album and it and came complete with a video of frontman Liam Fray taking a trip on the late-night No 17 through the artwork of Pink Cactus Cafe.

Watch the video to Solitude Of The Nightbus here:

Courteeners - Solitude Of The Night Bus (Official Video)

"This came at a time of real questioning," Fray said of the album. "Things weren’t going particularly well. No confidence. No direction. I think that’s why - whisper it - it’s on the fun side. This is the new us.

"My late Uncle Pat loved a whistle so it’s a bit of a homage to him. Get on the bus; headphones in; go your own way. It’s the feel good, imposter syndrome hit of the summer."

The new album Pink Cactus Cafe also features contributions from friends of the band such as Brooke Combe, James and Ian Skelly (The Coral), Pixey, Charlie Salt (Blossoms), Ola Modupe-Ojo (Bipolar Sunshine) and Theo Hutchcraft (Hurts).

The album will be available in a variety of formats, including signed albums and heavyweight limited edition coloured vinyl.

Pre-order Courteeners' Pick Cactus Cafe here.

Courteeners - Pink Cactus Cafe album track listing:

1. Sweet Surrender (featuring Brooke Combe)
2. Weekend Shy Of A Feeling
3. Pink Cactus Cafe
4. Where Are We Now?
5. The Beginning Of The End (featuring DMA’S)
6. Solitude of the Night Bus
7. First Name Terms (featuring Pixey)
8. Lu Lu
9. Love You Any Less
10. Bitten By Unseen Teeth
11. The Unexpected Rise Of You And I (vinyl bonus track)