Felix White, guitarist for British indie rockers The Maccabees, is nervous when talking about future plans to tour Australia on the back of their new album Marks To Prove It. Having travelled here in 2012 for Groovin The Moo and a few sideshows after the release of third album Given To The Wild, it’s about time they headed back to our shores once again. Perhaps they can be added to the rumour mill for a possible appearance at the Falls or Southbound festivals, then?

“You will definitely be seeing us at the end of the year,” White says. “I just got an email from our manager saying that ‘Something Like Happiness’ was getting a few spins on triple j, which is great considering we haven’t even released the record yet, but I know that the rest of the band is really keen to get some sunshine and play to the Australian audiences. It’s such a fun time. I can’t confirm or deny whether we are playing any summer festivals, because I got in trouble in the past. I was chatting to a journalist six months ago and accidently leaked that we were playing Glastonbury before it was announced, [but] we will see you at the end of 2015, 2016 for sure.”

Marks To Prove It is a welcome comeback for The Maccabees, who were thrust into the limelight on the back of their debut album, 2007’s Colour It In. Singles such as ‘X-Ray’ and ‘First Love’led to commercial airplay and high billing on some of Europe’s biggest summer festivals such as Leeds and Reading and T In The Park. The band’s recent return to the stage at Glastonbury and surprise appearance by Jamie T is a highlight that White speaks quite fondly about.

“That was pretty great, man, to be honest with you. I wish I was still there. There is nowhere like Glastonbury anywhere in the world. It’s our country’s heritage, really. It’s culturally significant and there is so much pressure put on Glastonbury shows and you really need to perform when you hit the stage. I think Marks To Prove It translates well onstage and everyone seemed to be getting into it. I can’t wait to play there again, it’s such an experience.”

One of the first tracks to be aired from the new record was ‘Spit It Out’, and right from the beginning of the song, you can tell it is quite a change of direction for the band. Throughout the album, there remain elements of the poppier and guitar-driven classic Maccabeesstyle, but on ‘Spit It Out’, they branch into a more Radiohead-like sound, with piano at the front of the mix. The album has been two-and-a-half years in the making, with ‘Spit It Out’ taking the best part of 12 months, but White says it’s been worth the wait.

“That song was the one that saved the album. We had a year and a half where nothing was happening and we were unsure of what we were doing and where it was going. It was on this track that we defined the hallmark sound of what we were trying to achieve.”

Looking back on that prolonged period of inactivity, White admits there was no back-up plan if the creative process didn’t work out, and he retains a constant fear that one day the music may just stop.

“That’s the thing about being in a band – what if one day we just can’t write great pop songs?” he says. “We went through that process a few times. There was no collective goals and it felt for a while there that each week we were going to throw it away. We have our own studio where we did everything from rehearsing to writing and recording, and it became like Groundhog Day.”

Even in the digital age, when cherry-picking songs from albums has replaced the old habit of listening to records from start to finish, the album’s sonic journey was something The Maccabees really thought about during the recording sessions. They took inspiration from some Britpop guitar rock legends when it came to mapping out the record.

(What’s The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasisis the first record that I bought, and over the years I have zoned in and out of it,” says White. “What I really love about that album is Liam [Gallagher]’s singing. The softer singing on ‘Champagne Supernova’ and ‘Wonderwall’ is quite angelic and really touching. He doesn’t really get enough credit for it. Noel Gallagher is a genius top line melody songwriter and I am grateful to Oasis on many levels for turning me onto music and making me want to turn music into a career.”

Produced by Laurie Latham, who has worked with Ian Dury and The Blockheads and Echo and The Bunnymen, Marks To Prove It is an impressive album from beginning to end and is sure to thrust The Maccabees into the musical spotlight once again. Having the opportunity to work alongside such rock royalty as Latham on the latest record was quite the surreal experience for White.

“When we were sceptical about this record, we realised that we needed someone outside the creative process to be involved and in the room whilst we were working,” he says. “When you get someone in that you don’t really know that well, you are on your best behaviour. Working with him was awesome; he really spurred us on and was there when ‘Spit It Out’evolved. It was his presence that was really empowering, and I love his work on Bring On The Dancing Horses by Echo and The Bunnymen. He was quite a zen character and a great person to be around.”

Few could dream of the success that has followed The Maccabees over their career, yet White always had a feeling in his gut that something big was going to come.

“I think if you ask the boys all separately, they will probably all give you different answers,” he says. “Right from the start, I knew that what we had felt special and we were onto a winning formula. I think that this album is going to be great for our growth as a band and I can’t wait to tour around the world on the back of it.”

The Maccabees release Marks To Prove It is out Friday July 31 through Caroline/Fiction.

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