Elbow’s inexorable ascent from much-loved underdogs to well respected National treasures hasn’t left the boys from Bury daunted. They’re currently writing for the follow up album to the Mercury Prize Album of the Year ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’, but don’t feel like there’s any pressure on them to rush things.

Drummer Richard Jupp, who was involved in the Sudan 365 project that featured recently on Recommends, spoke about it in a recent interview. “We did the bulk of the last album without a record label. So we know what pressure is, the only real pressure comes from ourselves, to create. Thankfully our record label are aware of that and respect that”

His band mate Guy Garvey is similarly pragmatic about their latest endeavour. In a recent interview with Billboard magazine the singer admitted there was something alluring about finishing the forthcoming record sooner rather than later and take advantage of the many plaudits they’ve received, but ultimately it’s the music that matters. “It’s tempting to try and capitalise on this one’s success, but I think it’s more important that we make sure it’s a good record. We’ve got a bunch of stuff we’ve been writing on tour that we’re very slowly knocking into shape,” Garvey said. “We’re trying to do just five or six days of writing every few weeks, and then we’re going to collate it, and do the same thing again for a year and half”. Whatever they come up with, it’s sure to be worth the wait!