Quintessential noughties British indie group The Libertines have signed to a major label to release a long-awaited third album. In news reported by the NME, The band have made a deal with Virgin EMI, and have pencilled in the album’s release for 2015.

Speaking in a statement from the Thai island of Ko Si Chang where the deal was signed, the Libs’ Pete Doherty said "I don’t know what to say, I’m so happy. It was a beautiful day." His co-frontman Carl Barât added: "After everything we have been through The Albion sails on course again, I couldn't be more excited."

The Libertines
After over ten years, The Libertines will release a new album in 2015

The group’s managers, David Bianchi and Adrian Hunter, also made a statement: "This deal has been a long time coming. The decision to sign to Virgin EMI was influenced hugely by Mike Smith's (President of Music at Virgin EMI) history with the band. The other offers were varied and fantastic in their own right, but in the end Mike’s previous experience and guidance of the guys was the factor that swung the band towards Virgin EMI. We are sure they have a good home and wish the guys all the success they have deserved for so long.”

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The often controversial band last released an album in 2004, a self-titled effort that falls into the ‘flawed masterpiece’ category. It was released on the famous British independent label Rough Trade, though they were also signed to EMI Publishing back in 2002 at the start of their career.

The Libertines encapsulated noughties indie music in Britain before the arrival of Arctic Monkeys in the second half of the decade. Their songs, often fuelled by an undercurrent of tension between Doherty and Barât, had a doomed romanticism to them, as well as a peculiarly British quality.

Sadly, internal conflicts usually eclipsed the quality of the band’s music, with Doherty’s trials and tribulations with drugs attracted acres of tabloid space in the British press. After the initial loss of Doherty, who left the band shortly before the release of their aforementioned second album, the Libertines soldiered on briefly before splitting at the end of 2004.