The Courteeners singer Liam Fray has revealed the band have finished work on their new album.
Writing on his Instagram page, Fray posted a picture including a logo of the Finnish national flag which simply said: “Album. Fucking. Finnished.”
There is no official news as to when the album – which follows 2016’s ‘Mapping The Rendezvous’ – will be released.
The trio previewed three new songs on their 13-date UK tour last December. Reviewing their Brixton Academy show, NME described ‘Better Man’ as “a more pensive and spacey synth-driven direction”. ‘Hanging Off Your Cloud’ is “a hook-laden, but tender and understated acoustic number”.
Described as “the most surprising” new song, ‘Heavy Jacket’ was called “a sharp and snarling dance-rock beast” featuring an intro similar to Dolly Parton’s ‘9 To 5’.
There is no confirmation as to whether these new songs will feature on the new album.
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The Courteeners instantly sold out their 50,000-capacity homecoming headlining show at Manchester’s Heaton Park on June 14, on a bill which also features James, DMAs and Pale Waves.
They also headline Tramlines festival on July 20 and Kendall Calling the following weekend. The day before Heaton Park, the band play Isle Of Wight Festival immediately before headliners Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
Speaking to NME last November, Fray said: “I’m in the richest vein of form that I’ve ever been in. We’re on fire. At the turn of the year we were a big pile of smoking ash. Now that’s not the case.
“To us, the songs have just got to be explosive and blow you away live. There are only a couple of delicate moments, which is why it’s a shame that the album’s not there yet for the tour. Maybe we’ll just have to do a few more gigs next year.”
In August, Fray told NME how his “worst years” have been shaping the new album, which he called “bolder, braver and adventurous”.
Fray said: “We’re doing it slightly differently this time. We were going to try and do an album but things happened and I pretty much binned a load of stuff. It just didn’t feel right. I ripped it all up and started again which is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. I really feel like we’re on top of our game at the minute.”
In 2018, the band released an acoustic version of their debut album ‘St Jude’, to mark its tenth anniversary. Fray told NME: “Ironically, it ended up being way more experimental than anything we’ve ever done before with the band. It was amazing. The shackles were completely off to make it as different as possible.”
He continued: “I was like ‘Hang on a minute. I think sometimes we feel penned in by our own detractors in the back of our mind. Fuck that, life’s too short for that. Generally speaking, if you play it fearlessly then people will get it. You’ve got to feel that freshness. It was really invigorating.”