Three years on from the stadium-conquering X&Y, Coldplay are once again braving the critics and public.

Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, which is released in mid June, is the band’s fourth release, sonically guided by the production genius Brian Eno.

Here the band talk you through the album, track by track:




:: Death And All His Friends
Melancholy piano segues into spangling guitars and a male choir exalting, “I don’t wanna follow death and all of his friends!” Vocals recorded in an art gallery in Barcelona that was once the medical room of an ancient nunnery.
Will Champion: “This is us singing all together and then another us singing together. The Coldplay Choir. And it had an echo that lasted for a long, long time. When we did a lot of group singing we just roped in whoever was around. Studio engineers, whoever.”


:: The Escapist (hidden track)
Church organ floats into a transcendental ambient instrumental written by Brian Eno’s friend John Hopkins, who “donated” it to the album. Over the top, a plaintive Chris Martin sings of escape.
Will: “I think with everything this time, the recording, the artwork, the live shows and videos, people will see there’s more to us than they imagine.”

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This feature - and a full interview with Coldplay - will be in the July issue of Q, on sale June 1.