Athlete biography

Athlete were a huge hit at the festivals too - indeed, drummer Roberts later admitted that they had been stunned by the reception at their 2003 Glastonbury appearance: 'We were low on the bill so it was a real shock when so many people turned up and sang along to our songs'. Despite having demonstrated they could cook up the kind of choruses that would have the festival crowds singing along, Athlete had already cast their thoughts ahead to the next album, looking to bring in a bigger, more 'epic' sound, ditching the novelty Casio organ sounds and seeking out something denser and more dramatic.

What is surprising is that this instinct to change gear came well before the festival appearances or prize nominations. Bass player Willetts maintains that the group had begun work on 'Tourist' back in 2003, '...before we played Glastonbury, before we became a Mercury nominated band, before everything. And back then, it didn't feel like what we were doing was a safe bet at all. It felt like a really big leap. We were worried people wouldn't get it'.

Yet, these worries, much to their relief, were to prove entirely unfounded. People got it. 'Tourist', released in 2005, made them the envy of many an artist in musical history, seeing as it was a 'successful' rather than a 'tricky' second album. It managed to outsell its predecessor for a start, and furthermore did this on the strength of a slightly more thoughtful, at times heart-rending approach. In particular, front-man Joel Pott saw fit to lay his soul bare for the world to see with the lyrics to single 'Wires' - a recap of the near-tragedy that befell Myla, his newborn daughter, in hospital. Recounting the events, Pott said 'She suffered a seizure and was rushed into intensive care. I'd already left the hospital, so I had to hurry back as soon as I got the call from Zoe [Pott's wife]. As I reached Myla's room and saw her lying there, I felt this strange, overpowering sense of peace. I had been a father for only a few hours, but my instincts were helping me to keep calm'.

Despite its sad, sensitive content, 'Wires' was another huge hit, proving that pop can somehow be both poignant and catchy at the same time. Not wishing to be outdone by the front-man, Willetts chipped in his own true story, 'Trading Air' - which recounted how he had taken the agonizing decision to tell his University sweetheart that he was still in love with her - although she was engaged to another man. It all worked out in the end for Willetts, who is now married to the girl in question, and furthermore the Hollywood tale gave them some useful subject matter for a confessional song!

What was also evident was that being catchy was not necessarily top of the band's agenda any more, and the need to do something immediately accessible to pop sensibilities was felt far less. Speaking just after the release of 'Tourist', Pott stated 'I think we are much more assured as musicians now...We're no longer obsessed with putting little hook-lines or catchy melodies into every little space. We trust ourselves more and can keep things a little more open. And I love the sense of distance and intimacy that lends our songs. It gives us much more depth'.

Whilst on the American leg of their tour for 'Tourist' in 2006, work began on its successor. In fact, much of the formative work was done on the tour bus itself, tinkering about with the music software package Reason, and finding the kind of electronic sounds, loops and samples they were hoping to use to underpin their next long-player. 2007's album release 'Beyond the Neighbourhood' was actually recorded in a studio set up by the band themselves. Perfectly reasonably, they felt that the best way to free themselves of the pressures to produce something against the clock, on someone else's shilling for studio time, was to plough some of the profits from their successful first two albums back into the hardware and location to create the third. That having their own studio also afforded them the opportunity to just down tools when necessary and watch the 2006 World Cup was rather a happy coincidence.

Eschewing a 'lite-rock' pigeon-hole that might lead them to be taken less seriously than they ought, Athlete have endeavoured to continuously evolve their signature sound since their debut. And with 'Beyond the Neighbourhood', and epic first single 'Hurricane' (that has 'HIT' written all over it from just a few bars in) it appears that they are vying for longevity on the music scene to match the credibility that they already have. Willetts sums up how the aim of the band seems to have changed and broadened since their happy-go-lucky beginnings, as on this latest release Athlete are '...trying to figure out what we think about a lot of things...From war to the environment to falling in love to dealing with death. Y'know, all the issues our generation is concerned and confused about."

• Athlete Discography