The Amazons aren't running from reality - they're sprinting straight toward it. Their new album, '21st Century Fiction', lands like a gauntlet thrown at the feet of our collective delusions, both digital and deeply personal. Frontman Matthew Thomson doesn't mince words about the modern maze of misinformation: "Take a look at your phone. See how far you get before you're knee-deep in some nefarious untruth. Feels like we're sinking in it."

This unflinching confrontation with reality marks a pivotal moment for the Reading-born outfit. Four albums deep, and The Amazons find themselves at a crossroads - one where commercial success alone can't satisfy the soul's hunger for meaning. As Thomson reflects, "If you can't find a deeper purpose than commercial success, you're going to run out of track. You'd better find something to believe in over festival billings, bank balance and rider requests. When you strip it all back, the work must remain. It's the only way."

The path to '21st Century Fiction' wasn't smooth. The band spent nearly two years post-2022 release grappling with their direction before finding a breakthrough. "To quote Hemingway," Thomson shares of how the process developed, "'Gradually, then suddenly'. Most of the music formed between January and April 2024, which is not typical for The Amazons, but we'd been banging our heads against a wall since after our last record in 2022, which is very typical for The Amazons."

This wall-banging period coincided with significant changes. The departure of founding drummer Joe Emmett created ripples that went beyond mere lineup logistics. "It cornered us. It's like if someone leaves a cult. Doubt creeps in. Are we really on our way to the promised land?" Thomson ponders. "I think we found a resilience from the resignation that we're in too deep. It's do or die. Put up or shut up. Joe leaving, hitting our 30s… it was a perfect storm."

That storm of transition coincided with Thomson's own existential wrestling match with time. "Hitting my 30s has really bothered me," he reveals. "I've been told it's the decade where you find your sense of self, but honestly, I've never felt more lost." This vulnerability is a recurring theme throughout the album as Thomson grapples with ageing in an industry that often fetishises youth: "Contrary to the endless victory laps, rock'n'roll is young person's game."

A conversation with longtime friend and pop fave Maggie Rogers proved particularly influential in shaping the album's urgent creative drive. "Me and Maggie have been friends since 2017, and most of our conversations about music have been framed by the expanse of possibilities laid out before us," Thomson explains. "Time marches on, and now the conversations are formed around the idea of 'If not now, when?' when it comes to our creative ambitions."

The writing process drew inspiration from unexpected quarters - from the neon-lit confines of Hollywood's Jumbo's Clown Room to the dusty shelves of bookstores like Skoob Books in Kings Cross and Skylight Books in Los Angeles. Perhaps most surprisingly, Thomson cites "a gun range in Florida" as one source of unexpected inspiration.

The recording process itself seemed haunted by forces beyond their control, particularly when it came to one track that ultimately had to be let go. "There was one song we had to abandon entirely," Thomson recounts. "It was called 'Death of the Queen'. Every time we tried to record it, something went wrong. Hard drives crashed. The desk stopped working. I lost my voice. Chris had a nosebleed during a take. Elliot's bass disappeared from a bounce with no explanation - just vanished from the file. Eventually, we just deleted everything and pretended it never existed."

The Amazons' relationship with live performance also remains central to their identity, particularly in the festival circuit where they've both performed and found inspiration. Notably, they're performing at Live At Leeds: In The Park this spring. "We've been fans of Aziya since she supported us at the Roundhouse on the last album," Thomson notes of the lineup, revealing an ongoing engagement with emerging talent. "I've always thought Sigrid and her band put on a great live show. I like it when bands play with the arrangement and expand on the record."

Their festival experiences have shaped them profoundly, with Thomson citing specific moments of transformation: "Seeing Arcade Fire at Reading 07 changed my life. There is an energy at a festival that can be harnessed by the right act." He also praises more intimate festival experiences: "I think Josh Sanger has done a beautiful job with Barn on the Farm. That festival gets as close to the original ideals as any other I've seen. Maybe that or Underage Festival 2008. That was like indie sleaze Lord of The Flies. Glory days."

For Thomson, making music has become more than artistic expression - it's a desperate grasp at immortality in the face of relentless time. As he puts it, "It's like time is a rope tied around my waist, pulling me through life, towards the end, and making music is my way of digging my heels into the ground." '21st Century Fiction' emerges as more than just The Amazons' fourth album - it's a testament to survival, evolution, and the power of facing truth in an age of convenient falsehoods.

In grappling with their own fictions and facing their fears head-on, The Amazons have created something that feels true.