INDIE rockers the Maccabees have had a turbulent time making their new album - to the extent they scrapped over a record's worth of songs.

 

The band was having such trouble making their fourth record that they asked famed producer Lawrie Latham to step in to sort out their arguments, and that led them to axe everything they'd done.

"We got Lawrie Latham in, who produced Ian Dury's records, to come and sit in with us for a week," says guitarist Felix White.

"He wasn't there to produce anything, just to slightly referee things between us all.

We did a song called Spit It Out in that week, that'll be a single later, and that's when the record started to take shape.

The aesthetic all came from that - we scrapped everything we'd done to that point and started again from there."

The fruits of the band's labour can be heard next Tuesday at the O2 ABC, as the group hit the road for the first time in a few years.

It's been some time since the release of 2012's Given To The Wild, an album that confirmed the Maccabees as one of the UK's smartest guitar bands, capable of exciting, jittery tunes and more languid melodies alike, capped by the fragile vocals of singer Orlando Weeks.

They'd originally thought the follow-up, due out later this year, would be quick and easy to rattle through.

"We went into the studio from Given to the Wild with a lot of confidence and felt we could do it in six months," says Felix.

"It turned out we were exhausted and spending three years on tour had caught up to us, so it was a false start. It was really hard to let go of things.

"You work on something for weeks and then a week later you look at it and go 'that's rubbish'. It's really difficult to remain objective and not be too stubborn or proud about things.

"I would say there were about 100 pieces of music scrapped, all at different stages of completion."

The first track from the album has now been released, in the shape of new single Marks To Prove It.

A high-octane sprint of a tune, it was road-tested last year when the group supported Kasabian on the arena rockers trip around some of the biggest venues in the country.

"You couldn't get two guitar bands who sound more different, and it was a tough situation to throw the new songs into, but it worked," adds Felix.

"It was throwing them in at the deep end. Kasabian are quite inspiring to be around because they've got such confidence with that gang mentality they have, and that carries over to you.

"I think that whether you like their music or not, they're unrivalled with that group mentality and you can't help but admire that."

It's now been over a decade since the Maccabees formed and, one drummer change aside, it's still the same band.

Groups lasting that long is becoming an uncommon sight, with break-ups often happening after the first hurdle or two in a career.

Felix reckons the London fivesome benefited from the fact they've had a slow but steady rise, rather than enjoying sudden fame.

"I think it's rare now for bands to last," he says.

"In many ways, we're lucky we didn't blow up massive when the first album happened, because it's really hard to maintain that level of expectancy.

"We've been able to navigate our own weird path, which I'm really grateful for.

"We've moved through all these fashions - when we first started everyone said there was too many guitar bands, and now everyone says there's not enough of them.

"We've managed to keep ourselves to ourselves and keep getting better.

"We've weathered the storms and we still love one another. That's an achievement in itself."

Although the most recent album would suggest there's not always harmony in the band, who also include Felix's brother Hugo.

Self-producing the album led to plenty of conflict, but Felix now thinks it's turned out for the best.

"When you've spent 10 years of your life in a band, it's hard to avoid that (conflict)," he adds.

"It's not like being in the Osmonds.

"We'd have some serious conversations about the music and we do talk about it a lot - that's one of the great things about the Maccabees, though.

"There's definitely different personalities in it."

The Maccabees, O2 ABC, Tuesday, £23, 7pm