Experimental rockers Tortoise are back with a new album inspired by the jazz scene of their native Chicago. You can hear it below. We were going to tell you all about it, but then we had a better idea: why not let the group’s Doug McCombs do that instead? Here are his thoughts on The Catastrophist ...

“About one-third of The Catastrophist originated from a commission for the City of Chicago. The idea was for us to write a new set of material that would work in collaboration with musicians from the jazz community in Chicago. When we decided to work some of this material into our new record we re-evaluated what was interesting about the songs and added and rearranged parts accordingly. Basically, in the absence of the extra musicians, we found the material needed more detail to become ‘Tortoise-like’. We have been a band for 25 years and it works because we’re friends and have respect and admiration for each other’s abilities. I’ve seen great bands that are ‘led’ by one person, but often those bands dissolve in animosity, jealousy and squabbles about money. We want to make money but we try to stay focused on pushing ourselves to make the most interesting music we can. It helps keep us grounded.”

Have a listen to the album using the player below, and let us know what you think in the comments.