KAISER Chiefs, the rock band fronted by Keighley-born Ricky Wilson, have changed direction with their sixth album.

Stay Together, described as the band’s ‘relationship album’, is a follow-up to number one hit Education Education Education & War which was more a protest album.

Ricky described Parachute, the first single from Stay Together, released in the summer, as "probably the first love song we’ve written since Ruby”.

The album was produced by Brian Higgins, who has worked with the likes of Girls Aloud, Pet Shop Boys and New Order, and is described as "spiky" and "surprisingly romantic".

Bass player Simon Rix said: "We generally tend to kick against what we did before; this time we thought we'd have a crack at love songs. It's not something we've really done before.”

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 said. "When Brian came he was like our sixth member, jamming with us and picking stuff out.

“Parachute, as far as we were concerned, was finished. But it was a ballad. Nobody picked it as the first single but Brian was determined that it was a great song.

“Next thing you know he’s dug out some drum patterns I’d been working on for another song, and Parachute has suddenly got four-to-the-floor drums.”

Stay Together is an album built on foundations of traditional musicianship - hours of jamming, resulting in four solid days of music which Brian drew on throughout subsequent sessions.

Simon added: “That’s the most jamming we’ve ever done. In some ways this is our most produced album, but at its heart it’s perhaps our most live one.”

It has been 12 years since Kaiser Chiefs burst onto the music scene with Oh My God, kickstarting an impressive run of hits that includes I Predict A Riot, Everyday I Love You Less And Less, Never Miss A Beat and Number 1 single Ruby.

It was at St Mary's Secondary School in Menston that the seeds of Kaiser Chiefs were sown, with Simon, former drummer Nick Hodgson and keyboard player Nick 'Peanut' Baines.

After beginning his life in Keighley in 1958, Ricky Wilson attended primary school in Ilkley then Leeds Grammar School and Leeds Metropolitan University. Ricky met Nick as a teenager in Leeds.

* Kaiser Chiefs are touring next year and are at Leeds First Direct Arena on March 4, 2017. Call 0844 8110051 to book tickets.