The Horrors ‘channel Hawkwind’ for new album

The Horrors have revealed that they will start work on their fourth album as soon as the festival season is over.

Guitarist Josh Hayward told NME that the band expect to go off in a new direction for the follow-up to Skying.

He said: “We’ve started some new material but it’s still gestating. I’ve been telling people the new album is going to sound like Hawkwind, but I’m sure it’ll take a big tangent when we get in there. That’s what usually happens. It’s never a premeditated thing – we just see what’s happening when we play together.”

The sessions will take place at The Horrors’ newly-expanded studio, a former loading bay in East London. And Hayward added that Radiohead had become unexpected benefactors to the band. “Ed O’Brien from Radiohead bought the Young Turks people next door their own studio, so they’re out and we’ve got all this space and we’ll be able to jam out for ages,” said Hayward. “That’s why Ed O’Brien is our new favourite person.”

Hayward was speaking after playing Budapest’s Sziget festival last weekend. They will return to the UK to play the Reading and Leeds festivals next weekend. But he added that Leeds last year will be difficult to top. He said: “When we played Leeds last year, the power cut out during ‘Still Life’, right at the crescendo of the song. The sound went off, the lights went down and no-one knew what to do.

“I was running around trying to get Faris a megaphone. Then the crowd just started singing and for five minutes we sang the chorus with them. It was amazing – I walked away from Leeds feeling it was my favourite festival in the world ever. Maybe I’ll pour water over all the plug sockets before we go on this year to try and make it happen again.”