Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner's new album lyrics stolen

Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner has revealed how the Sheffield band's forthcoming third album was almost scuppered – because his lyrics book was stolen.

Singer/guitarist Turner told NME.COM that the book he kept all his works-in-progress in was nicked last year, so he had to start from scratch.

"I got my bag robbed six months ago, I lost this notebook," he said. "I lost loads. [It was in] this brown book with a picture of a fox on it."

However, Turner explained that he used the opportunity to get to work on some fresh lyrical ideas.

"I went the morning after and brought a couple of Moleskines and sat around for a couple of hours trying to remember it all," he said. "But I found the whole process made me write more things, complete things that I wouldn't have otherwise."

Arctic Monkeys are set to release the new album this summer. See next week's issue of NME, out May 20, for an exclusive cover feature with the band.