Kodaline talk going independent to release new album One Day At A Time: "We wanted to do what we wanted to do"

Kodaline's new album One Day At A Time took them right back to their roots: just the four of them in the studio writing honest songs straight from the heart. And that's the way they like it.

After working with a who's who of successful writers and producers like Steve Mac and Wayne Hector on their third album Politics of Living, the boys have stripped back much of their operation for their new record, on track to be their fourth UK Top 40 entry. They've gone independent after leaving RCA Records, and the songwriting camps are a thing of the past. 

Lead singer Steve Garrigan told us that while they are fortunate to have experienced incredible success under their Sony major label deal, they're content to be in the position they are now, having creative control at a pace they set.

MORE: View Kodaline's full Official UK Chart history

"When we parted ways with Sony after our last album, it was a mutual thing like," Steve told us over the phone. "We weren’t really phased by it. As much as we loved the team that we had over the years there, the team had changed quite a lot. If anything, it’s put more control in our hands.

"We felt like we wanted to do what we wanted to do as artists and songwriters and musicians. We produced this record ourselves. It was just the four of us in a room which is how the band started off in the first place which is really cool."

What did the band take away from the recording process of their last album? As much as they enjoyed the learning curve, working with lots of other writers isn't really their style.

Steve elaborated: "On the last album, we learned a hell of a lot working with world class producers like Steve Mac and big writers like Wayne Hector; it was amazing to meet them and get to know them. There’s nothing wrong with collaborating – most songs have like 10 writers on them which is just the way the industry is now. If a good song comes out of it, then that’s great. But that never appealed to me when we first started.

"We were never in that world. We learned a lot from doing it, but I don’t think for us as a band it’s the right way to go. Going into a different room with different people and you don’t fully know them.

"For me as a songwriter, it’s always come from a natural place, sitting at home, venting I suppose, getting things off my chest. Some of our biggest and best songs have come from there. To be back with just the four of us in a room with no pressure, just writing when we want to write is a great place to be in now."

Do they ever think they'll go back to a major label? Steve's not so sure it will ever be necessary.

"Possibly. I’d never say never. Right now, we’re really happy with where we’re at. We’ll soon be moving on to the next record. We’re just going to keep writing. Major labels have huge resources but we have a great team of people around us now. I don’t know if we actually need to."