Relaxed Maximo Park

Frontman Paul Smith on a more democratic kind of recording session

17 March 2009 - After a two year break Newcastle quintet Maximo Park are preparing a return into the music world with their new albumQuicken The Heart.

It's set to be released on 11 May and will be followed by a sold out UK tour kicking off on May 13 in their hometown.

As for the album itself, vocalist Paul Smith thinks it's a different record to their second offeringOur Earthly Pleasuresin 2007.

“It was a very fresh experience for us and I think people can hear that in the music,” he told 6 Music. “The last two times it’s also been quite a fun experience, a bit more tense I would say than the new record. It seems a bit more relaxed on our part. We’re a bit more relaxed as people.”‘A compromise’It was an enjoyable process, according to the Smith, who said the group's democratic approach worked well: “From a guy who lives in Newcastle’s perspective going to London’s just like a holiday really."It seems a bit more relaxed on our part. We’re a bit more relaxed as people."

Paul Smith

“Somebody’s giving you money to make a record and that’s all you ever wanted to do so making a record is a very pleasurable time.

“Obviously there’s a lot of frustration that goes into making a record and especially working in a band with five people, nobody’s the leader, we’re all trying to be as democratic as possible.” 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs producer Nick Launay took up production duties on the Geordie band's third offering.

“If one person took the lead,” Smith continued.  “We’d all be a bit disappointed and we wouldn’t really feel like we were getting anywhere artistically. I think you’ve got to express yourself and being in a group is a compromise. At the end of the process the 12 songs have a chunk of each of us in all of the songs.”

‘Kid with a new toy’

The band are also looking forward to getting back onto the gig circuit, Smith said, after tickets for their UK tour were snapped up so quickly.

“It was really nice that it sold out,” the singer continued, “It kind of shows that people who like our band aren’t fly by nights and neither is the band so from that point of view we were all extremely excited.

“When you’ve got a bunch of new songs it’s like a kid with a new toy, you just wanna play them, you just want to get them out there, and show off a little bit.”The band have also announced a warm up date for the full tour on 7 April at the MandelaHall in Belfast and they’ve also been confirmed for Scotland’s T In The Park festival this summer.The first track from the album, Wraithlike, is available for free download from theirofficial website.