Maximo Park had to record their album in a "sketchy" area to save money.

The rock trio -which consists of Paul Smith, Duncan Lloyd and Tom English - joked it was a "bonding" experience recording their eighth studio LP 'Stream of Life' in a rough part of Atlanta and admitted they could only afford to record with American producer Ben Allen for two and a half weeks.

Singer Paul told the Daily Star newspaper's Wired column: "For purely economic reasons, we knew we'd only have a short time in the States.

"We hired an Airbnb bungalow which had a dilapidated old vehicle in the backyard.

"Then we'd walk to the studio each morning through some reasonably sketchy areas.

"Those experiences are bonding, but we wouldn't overtly say that to each other, as we're three middle-aged men."

The band released their debut single 'The Coast is Always Changing' 20 years ago and since then, they have had four top 10 albums and Paul acknowledged their longevity is "rare", but credits their strong work ethic for their staying power.

He added: "I think the traits our parents instilled in us kicked in once the band succeeded.

"We work hard at what we do in a consistent way.

"We know we're rare, because other bands give up or get different musical interests or they create interest by going away and coming back again.

"As its 20 years, it's miraculous that our fans can still propel us in to the Album's Top 40, let alone the Top 5."

Previously, the band missed out on the number one spot with their album 'Nature Always Wins' by just 500 sales in 2021, pipped to the post by Architects with their album 'For Those That Wish To Exist.'