As a start to the new year, and a Coldplaying round-up of the latest news regarding Coldplay's next album, below is a recap of what we know about LP5 so far. There are no confirmed reports on its release date or title, but over the last 12 months new information has emerged about the recording sessions, and the style which LP5 will adopt...
Since the release of 2008’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay has been discussing its followup. 2009 was the original target, but thanks to a global tour, some plagiarism charges, and a new side-project called Apparatjik, those plans were delayed. The band is now said to be aiming for a 2010 release with a 'tour of smaller venues' to follow. That is, of course, after they have completed the forthcoming Latin American tour of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico in February and March. However, as The Sun reported last month, Coldplay have now officially begun work on their yet-to-be-titled fifth studio album, and are held up in a dilapidated north London church with Viva La Vida producer Brian Eno, where they’re "masterminding a brave new direction."
In Exeter on 19th December, Chris Martin was videoed talking to fans about the new offerings. In the video, Chris can be heard talking about the new plans for the next album era...
Coldpray: The Sun has new insight into Coldplay's latest album recordings (December 2009):
Said the Sun: "Frontman Chris Martin is concerned the band are being seen as a huge stadium act and totally inaccessible for their loyal fans. So he has devised a plan with rock deity Eno and bandmates Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion to record a stripped-down, more acoustic collection in the eerie church. The band are keen to make hay while the sun shines. They have hit a rich vein with their songwriting and feel more creative than ever. Chris had wanted to record a new album while they were on the road but it was just too much. They have this work ethic while the going is good to just keep working as hard as possible."
Guitarist Jonny wed girlfriend Chloe in November but the source told the Sun: "Jonny has thrown himself into the new album, as have all the boys. The results are really exciting so far. Chris is determined not to be seen as a huge commercial rock juggernaut, filling stadiums and cashing in. This is the plan to keep them as close to their fans as possible."
The Sun: Coldplay 'Already Working On Fifth Album' - demos being laid down (October 2009):
The Sun first wrote on LP5 back in October 2009 when they reported that Coldplay were already planning to start recording demos for their fifth album, while they were on a temporary break. Having wrapped up their world tour for 2009 at Wembley, Coldplay were eager to get back to work on the follow-up to 2008's 'Viva La Vida'. "They have got a huge reserve of ideas together during their time on the road and they want to get the demos down while they are fresh," a source close to Coldplay told The Sun. "They are already excited about the next project."
The Sun also focussed on Coldplay's new home entitled the Beehive, saying online about Viva: "The last one was written and put down at their London studio The Bakery. Now they have moved up the road to a posh new purpose built facility."
The first time we heard about about Coldplay wanting the follow-up to 'Viva La Vida' to have 'less fanfare', was back in May 2009. Chris Martin has said the band's next record will be a concept album revolving around a secret story, and work on the follow-up to 'Viva La Vida', would be more stripped-down than its predecessor. "We spend an awful lot of time creating," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Maybe it's because we're about to turn 33, but I just feel hungry to write all the time. I think at the end of this tour, we may not tour for a while. We may put out a record without quite so much fanfare. I think the next one will be quite stripped-down and based upon this story idea which I can't talk about because it might be bad."
LP5 news from The South Bank Show, September 2009:
As we reported back in May and Mid-June, Coldplay were featured in a documentary last Sunday for the South Bank Show. In case you missed it or want to watch it again, you can see the full episode in five parts via YouTube, and you can also find download links via filesharing sites here, at the Multimedia forum.
The band were seen in discussion with Melvyn Bragg in the autumn as he travelled with them for six months, taking in their win at this year’s Grammy Awards, a tour throughout Japan, the Brit Awards and the War Child concert in London, where they performed with Bono, the Killers and Gary Barlow of Take That. Bragg was also seen spending quality time with the band whilst they worked on their next album in their north London studios, where the following list of songs was gleaned:
1000-1 (Ballad Of …)
Aiko
Alien Radio
Alive Day
Arabesque
Boyfriend
Buzz
Car Kids
Cartoon Head
Cartoon Heart
Christmas Lights
Drunks And Guns
Famous Old Painters
Gardeners On The Frontline
Great Expectations
Harbingers Of Doom
Harmony
Hook Up
If I Ever Fall In Love Again
It Was A Wonderful Day
Love In A Lethal Dose
Lucky Sevens
Sex Violence
Space Symphony
Spanish Rain
Wedding Bells
Wilderness
Wondering Star
We clearly spot during the episode the titles of all these new tracks. Famous Old Painters (which was due to be included on the Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends album but then later removed) was not discarded at all. Wedding Bells can be heard during South Bank Show, during which Chris Martin reveals the chords for the new song but still missing the verse.
Chris plans to test the songs early in 2010 on their closest pals by inviting them to the church to hear them live. The band will then record "as live" in the church, then aim to do a tour of smaller venues for fans to hear the new stuff. The late James Brown was known in music circles as the hardest working man in show business, but these boys are doing everything they can to take the title from the Godfather Of Soul.
So, according to the recent articles, Coldplay aim to release the album in 2010, a lot earlier than anyone expected - not least their label EMI. They have only one more album to deliver before they can move elsewhere, which will cause a huge stir in the industry.
One things for sure... we can't wait...
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