March 2, 2013 10:49

Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O: 'Where has all the charisma and sexuality gone?'

Singer says new LP 'Mosquito' will bring them 'back into the fray'

Photo Gallery: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Photo: Press/Dan Martensen

Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O has promised that the band's forthcoming new album 'Mosquito' will bring sexuality and charisma "back into the fray".

In an interview with Billboard, the frontwoman said that she and her bandmates had been eager to bring "the gnarl" back to music with their fourth studio LP.

The New York trio released their debut album 'Fever To Tell' a decade ago in 2003, and O said: "I miss the bands that were around when we first started out. When we came up, there was The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and The Make-Up.

She added: "Where has all the charisma and the sexuality and the gnarl gone? This album is about bringing that back into the fray."

O also admitted that she contemplated quitting the band during the making of their second LP, 2006's 'Show Your Bones'. "It crossed my mind a lot of times," she said. "But I felt like I had to finish the record, even though it was really difficult and we were going through intense hardship. Nick and I were on really bad terms. We were forced to support the record, and we had to be around each other a lot – at the shows, on the bus."

She did go on to add, however, that the experience had been ultimately positive and stated: "It was like alchemy. And now we're still here to talk about it."

'Mosquito' is produced by TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek and Nick Launay, with one track helmed by former LCD Soundsystem man James Murphy. You can listen to the album's first single, 'Sacrilege', by clicking below.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs curate I'll Be Your Mirror at London's Alexandra Palace alongside Grizzly Bear over the weekend of May 4-5. Bands confirmed for the event so far include The Walkmen, Black Lips, Real Estate, Dirty Beaches and Cass McCombs.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs will play:

Manchester O2 Apollo (May 1)
Leeds O2 Academy (2)
London Alexandra Palace (4)

To check the availability of Yeah Yeah Yeahs tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/TICKETS now, or call 0871 230 1094.

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