LEAD singer, Olly Knights said Turin Brakes new album, Dark On Fire had a long period of writing . He said: It was much longer than we usually get. We also took the new tracks out on the road first with our touring band, so when we came to record the a

LEAD singer, Olly Knights said Turin Brakes' new album, Dark On Fire had "a long period of writing".

He said: "It was much longer than we usually get. We also took the new tracks out on the road first with our touring band, so when we came to record the album we were really primed and ready for it."

So how different was the writing process given that they had so much more time?

"It's been more or less the same since we first picked up guitars and started to write songs, but the key difference this time was that we had so much more material. We had about double the amount of songs we really needed for an album. It meant we could really design the record and pick out songs that really go together."

The album has been influenced by Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, the latest Kings of Leon record, Because of the Times and the Ray Lamontage album, Till the Sun Turns Black, recorded with Turin Brakes producer Ethan Johns. "These were the things that really sparked us off," Knights says.

They had met Ethan before he became their producer. "It was a massive compliment for us at a time when we needed someone to help lift us up. We struck up a strong bond when we met him once in LA but he's the sort of person that, no matter how much he likes you as a person, he won't work with you unless he likes your music as he has so many people waiting to work with him."

But what about their evolution from a duo to a five-piece. Was there ever any tension moving away from performing as a duo.

"It's very interesting - in the early days, it was a real bone of contention. It was like when Dylan started playing electric. There was a section of the crowd who would love it, but also a hardcore element who just wanted to appreciate us as a duo."

Did they get any "Judus" heckles?

"We virtually did, it was along those lines. We thought that although the heart of Turin Brakes is me and Gale we didn't only want to be represented as Simon and Garfunkel for the 21st Century, which was what everyone was calling us at the time. We've grown up on bands and love drums and we love playing with other people. So, we just did it and made sure that whenever we played as a band it was really really good. Playing as a five-piece always felt like a release and had more layers and was always pleasurable for us."

The band's new album is out on September17 and the band visit Cambridge Junction on Sunday, September 30.

CHRIS BOLAND