Garvey explained the new album’s working title ties in with its main theme, of the five band members approaching their forties. He said: "When you’re 40, you're all ages at once, because you're thinking of your youth, which has very definitely passed, and about how you became the person you are. You wonder about how the rest of your life plays out from here." Talking about live plans for the album, Garvey hinted at an appearance at next summer’s Glastonbury festival. Garvey – who arranged the strings for Arctic Monkeys' performance at this year’s Glastonbury – said: "There’s nothing on paper, but I hope we play next year, because it’s the best party on Earth. There’s nothing official yet." Recorded at Elbow’s own studio, Blueprint in Manchester, and at Peter Gabriel’s studio, Real World near Bath, Garvey vowed the new album has "some big themes", adding: "A few of the songs are from the point of view of an older man, with quite paternal advice." Sonically, Garvey described the album as "messing with tempos here and there… it’s got some old-school spacerock sensibilities. It’s very celebratory in parts, as you’d expect." He went on: "Tempo changes in the middle of songs happen less and less often, but it’s a great musical tool. There are more of those from us than normal on this record."NME

Albums