Was it a different way of writing to ‘Smother’? Tom: In some ways it was more constructed and computer first. We finally fell out of love with the idea of being a ‘proper band’ and wanted to marry the mess of a band with detailed production. Did you feel you needed to recharge your batteries before making this record? Hayden: There was a sense of not wanting to go and do another ‘Smother’. To do something predictable would have defined our own ceiling so we had to go away and re-remember those reasons we were flung together in the first place. Was ‘Wanderlust’ chosen as a single to show this new direction? Tom: It’s definitely a signpost. It was the first one we attacked in the studio and got “the sound”. Hayden: It’s kind of the mission statement, a way of re-marking our patch... in an aggressive manner but also in a fun way.
Now you’re four albums in do you have that confidence to do what you want? Tom: Hayden’s always saying he’s “made his peace with oblivion”. Hayden: A surfer goes out with the belief they’re not going to get attacked by a shark. It doesn’t make it any less likely; it just means you’re confident enough to do it. And that’s the trick we keep playing on ourselves before every album. If you’re always thinking about the critical reception you’d chicken out of everything. You said you wanted to “repel the beards”? Tom: What I meant by that is that ‘Smother’ was a step into adult themes and we wanted to stay outside of what was expected of us. It’s that bravery to be dumb. And, lyrically, was it a conscious decision to be more straightforward? Hayden: Our music always requires the benefit of the doubt – but this time we wanted to say “This is what I mean, not what I’m alluding to”.