Kasabian discuss ‘guitar-heavy, feel-good’ new album

'I just wanted to make a guitar record that was relevant and important'

Kasabian have revealed that their upcoming new album will be ‘guitar heavy’ with a ‘feel-good’ mood to it, in an exclusive interview with NME.

The band are currently working on the follow-up to 2014’s ’48:13′, having unveiled new song ‘Pressie’ towards the tail end of last year. As the band were confirmed to headline this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival, guitarist and songwriter Serge Pizzorno spoke to NME about what to expect from the record – revealing that they’d finished recording and started mastering album No.6 this week.

“We did so much work really quickly that I took the summer off and did a bit of living,” he told NME, recalling working on the album last year. “It was great. I had the most amazing summer, then I just came back to it, added a few songs and they only took about ten minutes to write. They were those dream tracks that just write themselves. It all just took it to the next level.”

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Speaking of the final songs he added to the record, previously described as ‘some of the best tunes they’ve written’, Pizzorno continued: “They’re both bangers. I’m sure they’ll be singles along the way. You know they’re just going to hit people in the face really hard, and that’s just beautiful to have on a record. One of the tracks I’ve saved right until the end. I love that, when you think you’ve figured an album out then you get right to the end and you go ‘fuck!’ We did it with ‘Fire’ on ‘West Ryder’. I love that move.”

Kasabian
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When NME asked about the evolution of their sound after ’48:13′, Pizzorno replied: “Well, I fell in love with the guitar again. I was listening to ESG and Talking Heads and in that kind of world, then it just took on a life of its own. I just wanted to make a guitar record that was relevant and important. It’s been a while since that happened. We always react against our previous work. I did massively experimental synth work on the last record so I just looked at my Rickenbacker in the corner of the studio and thought ‘that’s what I’m gonna do’. I just started smashing tunes out on that.”

Speaking of the lyrical themes on the upcoming record, Pizzorno said: “I’ve got to say, these are the lyrics that I’m most proud of. I’ve got some beauties on this album. I tried to keep it really simple, but there’s some really twisted, dark comedy on there too. There are so many good t-shirts out of the lyrics on this album.

“It’s so weird because last year I was making music then I got married and Leicester won the league. Last year was the best year of my life, but the whole world around that was crumbling. With everyone dying and all the madness around the world, I’m sat there going ‘I’m having a great time!’ It’s pretty mental. There’s this vision of me in the studio surrounded by vintage synthesisers, that’s still standing perfectly but the rest of the world is just fucking bust. I wrote a proper feel-good album that will come out in the summer. It’s just the pure positive and complete opposite of what’s going on at the moment because that’s where I was as a human being. This was my reaction against the rest of the world.”

Kasabian to headline INmusic 2017
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On what to expect from their upcoming live shows, he added: “There’s always a twist in the tale. We grew up around the rave scene and that’s how we like to do things – to bring the carnival. Y’know, last day on Earth vibes.”

Kasabian join Muse as headliners, alongside previously announced acts Major Lazer, Bastille, At The Drive In, Tory Lanez, Danny Brown, Against The Current, Glass Animals, Architects, While She Sleeps and Andy C. Many more acts and the third headliner will be announced soon. Reading & Leeds festival takes place from 25-27 August over the Bank Holiday weekend. Hundreds more acts are yet to be announced. Tickets are on sale now and available here.

 

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