The Strokes' 'weird' reunion

The Strokes admit there was a lot of "weird energy" when they reunited after a five year break.

The New York band are preparing to release the follow up to 2006 'First Impressions Of Earth' and bassist Nikolai Fraiture admitted the dynamics had changed when they first came to record.

He said: "We didn't really break up but we didn't see each other for a long time.

"When you get back together there was a lot of weird energy flowing around. There are different dynamics in the group in different ways."

Nikolai promised the latest album would return to the group's "classic sound" but revealed singer Julian Casablancas - who has admitted at one point he took himself out of sessions for the record -recorded his vocals separately.

Speaking to BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe he said: "Usually we're always in a room and changing stuff and doing it all together. It's all a learning experience."

He also revealed the group - which includes Nick Valensi, Fabrizio Moretti and Albert Hammond Jr. - did not preview any new material at UK festivals last year because they didn't want songs to leak on the internet.

Nikolai said:"We didn't really want to play anything new because in the age of the internet we didn't want the new songs to be heard in a c****y way.

"Those festival shows we wanted to give the fans what they wanted."

The Strokes have not yet confirmed dates but the bassist promised the band would be "touring around the world" after they release the new album.

The band also confirmed their as-yet-untitled new album will be released by March.