Courteeners praise Arctic Monkeys + Maccabees

The Courteeners frontman Liam Fray has spoken out in praise of Arctic Monkeys and The Maccabees, inspiring him due to their constant evolution. 

"I think if you take yourself seriously as a band you've got to push yourself, you can't just rest of on your laurels," said frotman Liam Fray. "It's easy to make your debut album four times, but who wants to do that? The thing is people's tastes are changing so quickly that you have to change to keep them interested, but moreso for yourself as well."

He continued: "Arctic Monkeys have crafted a blueprint really, crafting five completely different records and they're not even 30. The Maccabees are the same as well, that third album has been a big influence on how we let songs breathe rather than just go all out frantic."

When asked if they feel tthe need to keep up with other bands like that, Fray replied: "In a way, yeah. I think a lot of people wrote us off early on, which was fine, but I don't think we're making up the numbers anymore, we're here to stay now. I think there is a healthy pressure to keep one eye looking over your shoulder though, and you should definitely be aware of what your peers are doing."

- Check back soon for our full and frank interview with Liam Fray

The Manchester indie heroes' fourth album will be released on Monday 18 August - the same week the band headline the BBC Radio One/NME Stage at Reading and Leeds Festival. Reading and Leeds Festival takes place from 21 - 24 August with performances from Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age, Blink 182, Paramore, Jake Bugg and many more. For information visit here.