Arctic Monkeys Have Officially Begun Work on a New Album

The Arctic Monkeys expect to release their long-awaited sixth album next year, bassist Nick O’Malley has confirmed.

It’s the first concrete comment relating to the follow-up to AM, which was released in 2013 – meaning fans will have waited at least six years by the time the next LP arrives. The Arctic Monkeys have kept a low profile since completing touring duties for AM in 2014, although frontman Alex Turner launched a second Last Shadow Puppets album last year.

The Arctic Monkeys have now begun at a “secret location,” O’Malley tells For the Ride, via Billboard. He expects the results to be made public in 2018. “If it isn’t," O'Malley added, "we’ve got problems."

Turner insisted last year that he was in “no rush” to get back to work with the Arctic Monkeys, as he was then focusing on the Last Shadow Puppets. “Writing with [collaborator] Miles [Kane], I reach different conclusions than I do on my own,” Turner said. “There is a confidence that encourages you to go further down whatever road you are on. When you’re on your own, the momentum is kind of your responsibility.”

Asked back then whether there were any Arctic Monkeys plans in place, Turner replied: “No, there aren’t really, not yet. But there will be at some point. I mean, we’ll see with that.”

Drummer Matt Helders used the downtime to work with Iggy Pop’s touring band as they supported the release of Post Pop Depression, produced by Josh Homme.

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