It’s been three years since The Maccabees released their last album and expectations are high.

The album's title track Marks to Prove It, a frenetic indie pop romp punctuated by siren-like guitars, and the optimistic jangle of follow-up single Something Like Happiness have been very well received by fans and critics alike, paving the way for their much-anticipated record’s release on July 31.

Guitarist Hugo White said: “There’s been a really brilliant reaction to Marks to Prove It. We’ve been playing in America recently and you can already see that there’s a real excitement to that song live.

“It’s a beautiful thing to see, especially when you’ve been so closed off for so long, to suddenly realise that what you’ve done is of some worth to people makes it all worthwhile.”

The London five-piece started work on the follow-up to their third album, Given to the Wild, in 2013, anticipating a 2014 release.

However, White said they struggled to find direction for the record before writing new track Spit It Out.

White said: “Looking back on it, I think it always has taken us a long time to write records, it’s just one of the things involved in the writing process with us, but it definitely did take us a long time to get to a point where we felt we had songs that were what we wanted.

“Spit It Out came together quickly and quite far into writing the record but, once that track came together, it suddenly gave us direction for a lot of other songs and we re-addressed things because of that track. There’s a directness to it and that kind of inspired us.”

The album was recorded at the band’s studio in London’s Elephant and Castle, with White taking the helm as producer for the first time, a task he’s eager to take on again.

White said: “I loved every minute of it. It was completely different, it meant I could no longer be a flippant band member.

“It wasn’t a light task to take on, we wanted to be able to work within ourselves and not rely on someone else but it was a lot to do. I stopped drinking to acknowledge how much of a task was ahead and what I’d set myself.

“However, for all its difficulties, it’s a beautiful thing, it’s a different way, music is art, production’s an art and I’ve taken to it.”

The record is full of subtle nuances and nods to modern life, with the London backdrop ever-present.

White said: “There wasn’t an initial inspiration but I think spending so much time in our studio, working on songs every day, and in London, after a while, it seeped into the record. All of a sudden we looked at it and thought everything is reflecting this locality and the spirit of the area.”

White said the record has helped the band get back to their roots and has tied their back-catalogue together.

He added: “The album brings back the focus more on the core elements of the band. It was all recorded in one room and there are moments of re-harnessing the excitement that we had when we started playing music as a band.

“We’ve noticed that this record ties in all of the previous ones, so it now feels like there’s a body of work that’s summed up in this album. It wasn’t intentional but it’s actually made the last three records make sense.”

The band, who released their debut album 'Colour It In' in 2007, are now preparing to hit the road later this year.

White said: “We’ll definitely tour the UK and there will be a Scottish date. The Scottish crowds have always been great for us.

“I’ve got a new found love for Glasgow. I met Paul Buchanan from the Blue Nile not long ago and we’ve become friends so every time we’re in Glasgow I go see him. He’s an amazing person and he makes Glasgow feel like a home.

“It’ll be brilliant. The new songs are starting to stand out as the main tracks live. It’s a good feeling to know they have become key moments in the set.”

Marks to Prove It is out on July 31.