Arctic Monkeys explain the connection between all their albums
Arctic Monkeys have explained the connection between all their seven studio albums as they gear up to release new LP ‘The Car’ next week (October 21).
Since releasing debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ in 2006, the band have flirted with desert rock (2009’s ‘Humbug’), arena-filling rock’n’roll (2013 classic and NME Album Of The Decade, ‘AM’) and lunar-inspired slow-jams (‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’)
As the band told Dutch radio station NPO 3FM in a new interview, the connections between the albums are more obvious to the band than they may be to fans.
“There’s a path that goes from the first album to this album,” drummer Matt Helders explained. “It might not be obvious and clear to everybody at first, but for us, it’s definitely got a bit of that. And it’s got another extension of what we did last time, but there’s definitely a difference.”
Alex Turner added: “I think it seems to me possibly that, when you look back after a period of time has passed, you’d notice more that the sound of each record [is] sort of bleeding into the next one more than you perhaps felt it did at the time.
“I think it definitely follows on from the last one, but it feels a bit more open or something.”
In the same interview, the band reflected on the elongated process of creating the new record. “It took us a lot longer to get to the end point of this one than any of the others,” Turner said. “I suppose because we had a bit more time.” Helders added: “It was probably more spread out as well.”
Turner continued: “Maybe the longer you let it go on, the more you want to let yourself make adjustments. Perhaps all of that might have got a bit silly at the end in that respect…Remarkably, I don’t know if I’ve ever listened to this one in a car.”
This week (October 10), the band added European headline dates to their 2023 world tour. ‘The Car’ will come out next week (October 21) and the band have already confirmed details of a UK stadium tour and North American dates with Fontaines D.C. for next year.
See the full list of dates below.
APRIL 2023
24 – Tipsarena, Linz
25 – Zenith, Munich
27 – Sporthalle, Hamburg
29 – Avicii Arena, Stockholm
30 – Spektrum, Oslo
MAY 2023
2 – Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin
3 – Rudolf Weber-Arena, Oberhausen
5 – Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
8 – Festhalle, Frankfurt
9 – Accor Arena, Paris
29 – Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol
31 – Building Society Arena, Coventry
JUNE 2023
2 – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
3 – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
5 – Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
7 – Carrow Road Stadium, Norwich
9 – Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
10 – Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
12 – Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea
14 – The Ageas Bowl, Southampton
16 – Emirates Stadium, London
17 – Emirates Stadium, London
18 – Emirates Stadium, London
20 – Malahide Castle, Dublin
25 – Bellahouston Park, Glasgow
AUGUST 2023
25 – The Armory, Minneapolis
26 – The Armory, Minneapolis
27 – United Center, Illinois
29 – Pine Knob Music Theater, Clarkston
30 – Budweiser Stage, Toronto
SEPTEMBER 2023
1 – Budweiser Stage, Toronto
2 – Bell Centre, Montreal
3 – TD Garden, Boston
5 – TD Pavilion at The Mann, Philadelphia
7 – Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia
8 – Forest Hills Stadium, New York
9 – Forest Hills Stadium, New York
11 – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Alpharetta
12 – Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville
13 – Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville
15 – Moody Center, Austin
16 – Dickies Arena, Fort Worth
18 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison
19 – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison
20 – Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City
22 – Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle
23 – Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver
24 – Moda Center, Portland
26 – Chase Center, San Francisco
27 – Golden 1 Center, Sacramento
29 – The Kia Forum, Los Angeles
30 – The Kia Forum, Los Angeles
The post Arctic Monkeys explain the connection between all their albums appeared first on NME.
Will Richards
NME
