Coldplay working on a new album

Rockers Coldplay are recording a “concept album”. Frontman Chris Martin has revealed the band have been in the studio working on the as-yet untitled follow-up to 2008’s Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends.

“It’s from the point of view of two people who are a bit lost,” Martin said.

“Two like-minded outsiders who meet in a very difficult environment and therefore have a journey together.

“It’s a concept album but it’s supposed to be very personal within a big framework. Does that make sense?”

Martin — who’s married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow – also admitted his bandmates — guitarist Johnny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion – can be tough with their views of his lyrics, but he insists he prefers their honesty as it means the material they eventually record is of a high standard.

“Jonny’s delightful, he’s the easiest to convince. It’s when you have to take a verse to Guy or Will that things become very tearful. You can forget there are other people in the world,” he said.

“I’m so lucky that we have that group, in as much as there are a lot of people who don’t like us in the world, but there would be a lot more without this filtering system. Think of the rubbish that doesn’t get out, if you don’t like the stuff that does.”

Martin then discussed the album’s release date. “Preferably not the same week Take That are doing anything,” he said.

“Nowadays, if Gary says he might be possibly playing piano on a certain day, we just say, ‘Ok we’ll go and work in Germany that day, there’s no point in us being here.’”