Blossoms on their ‘classic’ new album and the advice given to them by Alex Turner and Paul Weller

Get ready for some 'classic pop and break-up songs'

Blossoms have spoken out about the progress of their ‘huge’ new album – and revealed the advice given to them by Paul Weller and Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner. Watch our video interview with the band above.

Speaking to NME before they made their main stage debut at Reading & Leeds 2017, the band revealed that they had nearly finished writing their ‘upbeat’ new album – loaded with ‘classic pop songs’.

“We feel like we’ve pretty much finished it,” frontman Tom Ogden told NME. “We’ve got about 12 tunes, that’s usually enough for an album but we’re going to try and get a couple more. If we can get another banger then you’re not going to be complaining, do you know what I mean? It’s in a very healthy position. It feels like a proper record.”

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Asked about his lyrical inspiration behind the album, Ogden replied: “People come in and out of your lives, and I tend to write about relationships. Some of the songs are inspired by break-ups in the past, because you can always channel into that. In the last year, I’ve not been feeling like that any more so there’s some positive songs. I always find that it’s harder to write a song telling someone how much you’re into them, than it is when things are going sour – without it sounding cringe-y.”

Drummer Joe Donovan added: “I think Tom lyrically has got a lot stronger. Not that he wasn’t already, but now they’re a lot more clever.”

Alex Turner, Tom Ogden and Paul Weller
Alex Turner, Tom Ogden and Paul Weller

The Stockport band also said that despite their rapid rise to fame and huge billing at Reading & Leeds, their ultimate goal was longevity – inspired by some of their very famous peers.

“As soon as the album was successful, everyone was like ‘oh how did you celebrate?’ and I was like ‘this is when the real work begins’. You’ve gotta get your head down and keep writing songs, so that’s what I did. Every time I was home from being on tour, I just wrote songs. I was aware of it. I wasn’t lazy – I chased it.”

Donovan continued: “That’s the advice from Alex Turner and Paul Weller – people who we’ve bumped into and asked for advice. They’ve always been like ‘you need to keep writing and stuff’. People are like ‘do you feel like you’ve made it?’ We’re playing the mains stage third from the top, but to us ‘making it’ is when you’ve got a huge catalogue of albums and you’re still doing main stages.”

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The band also spoke to NME about their desire to headline Reading & Leeds in 2019 (and lick the faces of Noel and Liam Gallagher).

Blossom’s next major UK gig will be performing alongside Noel Gallagher, The Courteeners and more at the re-opening of Manchester Arena in the wake of the terror attack at an Ariana Grande gig

Check back at NME for the latest news, interviews and more from Reading & Leeds 2017.

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