NME 11th March 2006 Issue Primal Scream: "It's an album of euphoric Rock'n'Roll song" Bobby Gillespie and co ditch the art and go back to basics on new record Primal Scream have gone back to basics on their 8th studio album. Recalling their Rolling Stones-influenced sounds of their mid-'90s efforts, Bobby Gillespie and his band have turned their back on the sonic experimentations of recent albums in favour of a gonzo live approach. "I think we're one of the best live bands in the world and I wanted to capture that," said Gillespie of the shift in styles. "The last two albums have been all loops and drum machines - for this one we wrote euphoric rock'n'roll songs. I wanted to capture that euphoria and I think we did it. It was a great time making it, fucking great!" The raw approach has triggered speculation the band have fallen out with My Bloody Valentine mainman and recent collaborator Kevin Shields - and even Gillespie is currently unsure of the situation. "Kevin only ever played with us live," he explained. "He mixed a lot of songs but he never played guitar on the albums. Is he still involved? I don't know, he didn't play at the last gig in Glasgow three weeks ago. He never made that gig because he was working on a Sofia Coppola movie." Instead, on the tracks NME has heard, including 'Nitty Gritty', 'Boogie Disease' and forthcoming single 'Country Girl' (due May 22), there is a far more controlled, classic guitar sound to the album. Indeed, the band generally seem more restrained than they were the last time they were in the public eye - Glastonbury 2005. There, the band courted controversy during their Sunday night slot. Following Kylie Minogue's withdrawal due to her breast cancer treatment, Gillespie told fans of the singer to "fuck off", before organisers pulled the plug on their chaotic set. However, the Scream's biggest problem at present is naming the album they recorded at London's Olympic studios last year. "We're the worst at picking titles," said Gillespie. "I came up with 25 ideas, but nobody else likes them. We've got the artwork and everything but we always have this fucking problem. We'll come up with something, I'm sure it's obvious, but if you've got any ideas let us know." Guests on the album, due out June 5, include The Kills' Alison Mosshart, Echo & The Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant and Nick Cave collaborator Warren Ellis. However despite the more conservative rock'n'roll approach, Primal Scream are not totally controversy free: fans have already started speculating that the characters in LP track 'Suicide Sally And Johnny Guitar' refer to Kate Moss and Pete Doherty. "That's a classic rock'n'roll song," said the singerof his self-proclaimed favourite on the album. "The title just came out of imagination. Are they based on anyone? I don't know, they might be. I might have met them in a previous life (laughs). I don't know, the songs aren't autobiographical." Primal Scream have also confirmed a small UK tour ahead of the festivals. They play London Astoria (April 6), Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall (26), Manchester Ritz (27), Glasgow Queen Margaret Union (28). "It's a good rock'n'roll show," said Gillespie. "It's fucking perfect, the setlist is amazing, there's no messing about."