More about: The Charlatans

It can take the toughest of times to test the true worth of a band. Over the last five years, The Charlatans have to cope with their own personal problems and the untimely death of drummer Jon Brookes. They had to find a reason to return - and now they're back with their most promising material in years. Modern Nature could make 2015 the year of The Charlatans. 

Watch our interview with The Charlatans in the video above

"We lived together, making this record, and I think that was important," frontman Tim Burgess told Gigwise. "We lived and breathed it." 

He continued: "We've all been through a lot of stuff since the last album in the last five years. Lots of great stuff for me - I put a book out and did a solo album, and there are still embers of that that linger on. Then there's been personal stuff - people having kids, getting divorced or whatever real life stuff. We wanted to be ourselves and let everything fall into place. 

"I think it's an album that we shared - we all put our personalities into it." 

Speaking of the death of Jon Brookes, the band revealed that the huge tribute gig at London's Royal Albert Hall not only gave them the 'closure' that they needed, but the confidence they needed to make the record Jon would have wanted. 

"It took that to focus us," said guitarist Mark Collins. "We kept saying 'Jon really wanted us to make another record' but we didn't know how to do it until after the Albert Hall. It was an emotional night. I wasn't sure when I was walking off, if that was the last time The Charlatans would play."

He added: "I thought 'that might be the last time I play with The Charlatans'. I'm so pleased that it wasn't." 

Watch our video interview with The Charlatans above

The Charlatans release Modern Nature on 26 January 2015. Their upcoming UK tour dates are below. Buy tickets safely and securely using Seatwave here. 

MARCH
3rd – O2 Academy Bristol – Bristol
5th – Albert Hall – Manchester
7th – O2 Academy Leeds – Leeds
9th – Hull University – Hull
10th – Barrowlands – Glasgow
13th – Civic Hall – Wolverhampton
14th – O2 Academy Leicester – Leicester
16h – Roundhouse - London

More about: The Charlatans