Temper Trap Promise ‘Brighter’ Music on New Album

What happens when an Australian band heads to Los Angeles to record their new album? According to Dougy Mandagi of the Temper Trap, the music gets "a lot brighter."

Mandagi discussed the band's upcoming self-titled effort during a recent interview with Billboard, saying, "Some of that L.A. sun seeped in. I mean, lyrically it's probably more on the darker side. It's quite interesting how the two opposites complement each other."

Added guitarist/keyboard player Lorenzo Siletto, "Part of the inspiration came from, we bought some new gear -- a synthesizer, a keyboard that had synthesizer things in it... We were able to feed off those things a little bit more, by having new elements."

These statements add a little context to Siletto's earlier prediction that the band would come up with a "dark, synth led" album -- perhaps partly as a result of the pressure from "a huge expectation from our label and fans" to produce a follow-up to their earlier hit, 'Sweet Disposition.' As Mandagi put it, "We don't want to get pegged as the 'Sweet Disposition' band. With this new record, there's something that's inside us that's wanting to prove we're more than that."

'The Temper Trap' is scheduled for a June 5 release. In the meantime, you can enjoy the album's first single, 'Need Your Love,' right here.