IF THE last Kaiser Chiefs album Education Education Education & War was their protest album, Stay Together is their relationship album.

Produced by Brian Higgins, who has worked with Girls Aloud, Pet Shop Boys and New Order, it’s the band’s sixth album and, described as “surprisingly romantic”, it’s a change of direction.

“We tend to kick against what we did before; this time we thought we’d have a crack at love songs,” says bassist, Simon Rix.

Parachute, released in the summer, was described by Ricky Wilson as “probably the first love song we’ve written since Ruby”. Simon says Stay Together was more collaborative than previous albums.

“We had no ideas, no focus. Songs were heavy or light, moody or bright and breezy,” he says. “Brian became our ‘sixth member’, jamming with us and picking stuff out. It was as if each song was a problem in need of a solution. Brian would continue until he found the answer.”

This was particularly true, he adds, on Parachute.

“The song, as far as we were concerned, was finished. Nobody picked it as the first single but Brian was determined it was a great song. Next thing, he’s dug out some drum patterns I’d been working on, and Parachute has suddenly got four-to-the-floor drums.”

It’s an album built on traditional musicianship, with hours of jamming. “It was like having a hard drive of stuff you didn’t even realise was good,” Simon adds.

“In some ways this is our most produced album, but at its heart perhaps our most live one.”

The spontaneity continued throughout the sessions. “It did our head in at times. Before each session, Higgins only sent us ideas at the very last minute because he wanted us to be instinctive.”

The video for new single Hole in My Soul sees the band racing in pimped-out Kaiser Chief-liveried Honda Civic Type Rs.

“I don’t normally like doing videos, but that was cool,” says Simon.

It was at St Mary’s School in Menston that Simon formed Kaiser Chiefs, with former drummer Nick Hodgson and keyboard player Nick ‘Peanut’ Baines. As a child, Simon played drum and bass at Guiseley Music Centre, where his grandfather was once headteacher, and later joined his dad in a band.

His grandparents ran a singing group in Yeadon. “Most kids at the music centre played flute but they let me be in a band, playing Hendrix covers. You need that encouragement,” says Simon, 38, whose mother is a former deputy headteacher at St Joseph’s College, Manningham.

“Quite a few of my family are far better musicians than me, but I was the only one ‘stupid’ enough to pursue the band thing.”

Kaiser Chiefs are at Leeds First Direct Arena on March 4, 2017. Call 0844 8110051.