The Libertines frontman has given an update on his upcoming new album with Carl Barat, which will have a “different energy”.
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The band have been working on the record in Jamaica, with Pete Doherty saying earlier this summer that they were working on new material for the band’s fourth studio album.
“It was very effective. I’m just trying to write new songs,” he said at the time. He also said it earlier NME he was confident that the record would be released by the end of 2022, but it did not happen.
Doherty said in recent sessions NMEof In conversation series: “We put together some new songs, me and Carl.”
Barot added, “Now the four of us have to learn and play them and write a few more.
“We want to do something musically that we haven’t done before… I think we’re looking to do something with a different energy than before. But we are not at that stage yet.”
The pair also shared details of a new track called ‘Shiver’, which Doherty explained has a “real sentimental feel” to the Libertines’ previous singles ‘The Delaney’, ‘France’ and ‘Music When the Lights Go Out’. Singer Barat agreed, adding: “Yeah, ‘Shiver’ is great. I listened to it yesterday, actually.
Drummer Gary Powell said about it NME in August, his focus was on “moving forward” with the band’s fourth album. “The good thing is that everyone is writing,” Powell said. “Obviously, we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel… but I think we can push the boat out a little bit more while still bringing something that has the same emotional integrity and dynamism that audiences have when they come to a Libertines show. “.
As they began work on the record in 2019, Doherty said the band explored a number of ambitious directions for the new material, likening it to The Clash’s divisive “Sandinista” variety.
“Carl wants to do a ‘Sandinista’ thing with all the crazy ideas we have, so we’ll have these freestyles and folk songs, and then we’ll have traditional Doherty/Barat songs,” Doherty said at the time. . “I don’t think the Gary and John songs are part of it because they’re really strong songs.”
Doherty continued: “It’s all very positive, but it was killer because I was so nervous and uncomfortable in those first sessions. I didn’t know that everyone else was like that, but it turns out that it has had great results. Everyone was like, “What’s going on with this band, right?” they said.”
The Libertines’ last album, 2015’s Anthems for Convicted Youth, was released by Ex. NME journalist Matt Wilkinson said it was the most rounded album The Libertines had made at the time.