Arctic Monkeys Drummer Says Band Will Never Return To Old Sound

The drummer of Arctic Monkeys has said the band will never return to their older sound, saying the current vibe they’re going for is ‘hard to explain’. 

As a founding member of the band, Matt Helders has been drumming with the group since they formed in Sheffield back in 2002 – going on to release debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not four years later, followed up by a second, Favourite Worst Nightmare in 2007. 

Since then, they’ve released 2009’s Humbug, 2011 album Suck it and See and 2013 record AM, before taking a departure from their usual sound with 2018’s Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. 

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The album, which is their most recent, was seen as a ‘left-turn’ by critics, with Pitchfork’s Jazz Monroe noting at the time how frontman Alex Turner was swapping ‘witty sleaze for absurdist suave’. 

Instead of the heavy guitar riffs associated with earlier indie work, Tranquility Base welcomed more psychedelic sounds into the mix, with influences of 60s film soundtracks and space pop. 

According to Helders, 36, we shouldn’t expect a return to their pre-2018 style, as he’s said things will never be like ‘R U Mine?’ – from 2013's AM – ever again. 

The drummer appeared at DrumathonLIVE 2022, where he was asked about what fans can expect from their forthcoming record. 

“It kinda picks up where the other one [Tranquility Base] left off musically,” Helders said. 

“I mean, it’s never gonna be like ‘R U Mine?’ and all that stuff again. You know, the heavy riffs and stuff.” 

He added: “There are riffs in there and [it’s] a bit more up-tempo, even though it’s not loud. It’s hard to explain!” 

Last year, Helders revealed that a new Arctic Monkeys album was due to drop at some point in 2022.

In an interview with Radio X, the musician was asked if album number seven was ready to go.

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He replied: "Yeah, pretty much, yeah. It was a bit disjointed how we had to do it, and there are bits to finish off, but yeah, it’s all in the works.”

Helders added: "I think by the time we get everything together it’ll be next year. Hopefully we can get out and tour next." Explaining what their new album will sound like, he also echoed more recent comments, saying the style was 'hard to describe'.

“We tend to always move it on a little bit,” he said.

"For us, because we’re so involved in it, it always makes sense. They always kind of pick up where the other one left off in a way.

"It makes sense when you think about it in the context of the last record. But we always do try and do something a bit different – it’s kind of hard to describe. You can tell it’s the same band."