Arctic Monkeys are in the "early stages" of trying to "write a [new] record".

Drummer Matt Helders has revealed the group are working on a follow-up to 2018's 'Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino', but the band have been "faced with various obstacles" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: "Being separated by the sea is one of them.

"We’re all eager to do it - we would have been doing it by now in a normal time.

"There’s definitely a desire from our end to do a new record, as soon as we can."

The 34-year-old stickman - who is originally from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, where his fellow band members, Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, and Nick O'Malley also hail from - is currently based in Los Angeles, where he has been working on his drumming.

Speaking on Instagram Live, he added: "I’ve got drums here.

"[I’m] always trying to improve on and study certain things."

Matt's comments come after the 'R U Mine?' group's manager Ian McAndrew revealed last month that the British rockers are working on new tunes.

He said: "They’re working on music.

"In this rather disjointed time, the guys are beavering away and I hope that next year they’ll start working on some new songs, new ideas, with a view on a future release.

"There were recording plans in the summertime that got canned as a result of the travel restrictions."

The group released their debut album, 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not', 15 years ago, in January 2006.