Keane: 'New album is clicking into place'

Keane have revealed that they are currently working on their fourth studio album.

Pianist and backing vocalist Tim Rice-Oxley wrote on their official website that the album is "clicking into place" now that the band had decided on an overall sound.

"Apologies for the recent radio silence from Keane HQ," he said. "We've been very busy in the studio trying to bash a huge pile of new songs into shape.

"We started with a list of about 40 songs, I think, and our job for the last few months has been to narrow that down to a shortlist of about 15.

"It has taken us a while to find an atmosphere and an approach which feels right for the songs and which ties the whole thing together into one cohesive story, but things are finally starting to feel right.

"Songs that have eluded us through many different attempts are clicking into place at last. And it seems like we're all agreeing on a 'sound' for the album after a lot of experimenting with different approaches."

The latest album will be the follow-up to 2008's Perfect Symmetry, but has yet to have an official release date.

Rice-Oxley added that the band still have plenty to do before they complete the record.

"There's still masses of work to do, but it's all really exciting and I feel like you guys are going to love it. I hope so anyway!"

Tim Rice-Oxley told Digital Spy last year that he wouldn't be fighting for lead vocalist duties with Tom Chaplin after singing for his side project Mt. Desolation with bassist Jesse Quinn.

Watch the video for Keane's 'Somewhere Only We Know' below: