Royal Blood say new album will have something they've "never done before"

26 May 2023, 11:45 | Updated: 15 August 2023, 15:18

Royal Blood discuss their new album

By Jenny Mensah

The Brighton duo spoke to Radio X's Johnny Vaughan's 4-7 Thang about their Back To The Water Below album.

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Royal Blood have talked about making their new album.

The Brighton duo - made up of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher - are set to release their fourth studio album Back To The Water Below on 8th September and teased a bit of what to expect.

Asked by Radio X's Johnny Vaughan how it felt getting back into the studio, frontman Mike Kerr revealed: "We started working on new ideas on the road so it sort of began there, but yeah being in the studio is pretty boring most of the time, until you get a great idea, but it’s fleeting moments.”

Royal Blood tease process of recording new song

Asked how the pair form songs, despite playing the bass and drums on stage, the rocker revealed: "We like to try and make sure there’s a song beneath it all, so sometimes we begin at the piano or an acoustic and it sounds nothing like the version you hear eventually.

"We kind of remove all that, keep the melody, keep the topline and then kind of... turn it into the devil’s music."

Quizzed if there is a new sound or melody they are pleased with most on the album, he mused: "That’s not for me to say is it? That would be mental [but] there’s definitely songs on there that are something we’ve never done before."

When Johnny Vaughan suggested their new release is more "back to basics," Kerr replied: "I would say though, where we started from being basic is quite complicated. I challenge anyone to attempt it.

"We’ve done it the wrong way around, where it sounds simple but it’s incredibly complicated!"

Royal Blood discuss new album with Johnny Vaughan — Royal Blood have discussed their new album with Johnny Vaughan. Picture: 1. Tom Beard/Press 2. Radio X 3. Press

This week saw the rockers share their comeback single Mountains At Midnight along with its accompanying official video.

Royal Blood - Mountains at Midnight (Official Video)

Speaking of the single, frontman Kerr said: “Mountains At Midnight is one of the fastest songs we’ve ever written. We’ve never written a song that fast, it’s all quite groove-based. It feels like a song that should’ve always existed in our arsenal and like a song that’s way overdue. It felt like finding a missing piece.”

Back To the Water Below is the result of a new creative approach from the duo, with the pair entirely self-producing their record for the very first time ever, relying on their chemistry and instinct to produce their unique sound.