Alternative rockers White Lies love Latitude so much, tonight’s headlining performance on the Word Arena is set to be their only UK show of 2012.

“We’ve played it twice before and we’ve always loved everything about it. It’s one of the only festivals I think that we can guarantee we’ll want to be out and about all day watching other bands, just enjoying the festival ourselves,” says the band’s bass guitarist and backing vocalist Charles Cave.

“The first time we played it we all stayed for the whole weekend and camped. We always have just such a great time, they really look after bands there. It feels very genuine, like everyone is either there to really enjoy music or relax.”

When the band’s managers asked if there where any festivals they wanted to play this year, Latitude topped the list.

“We’d done Glastonbury and Reading last year which are both great; but we all just instantly said it’d be great if they had us back for Latitude. To headline The Word Arena on the first night is going to be fantastic. Bon Iver are playing at the same time so there’s definitely going to be a split in the crowd.

“I predict mums and dads will go watch Bon Iver and let their kids watch White Lies. I’m annoyed, I would like to watch a bit of Bon Iver as well; it’s such a good line up this year.

“Most of the things I really want to see are actually on the same day as us, so I feel like I might just spend the whole day watching music and enjoying myself and then play the show and be ready to go home after having a full-on day of potentially walking around in the mud depending on what the weather does.”

The band’s third album probably won’t be out until next January, mayba a few months later. They’re taking the time to get it right.

“Third records are a pretty serious thing. You’ve really got to cement yourself in the music scene as it were, the greater music scene, that’s when you determine what’s going to happen with your career,” adds Charles.

“We’re taking it easy, not wanting to rush into recording especially. We’re perfectionists, if something doesn’t feel right we’ll be pretty quick to write it off and we don’t feel like we need to justify or explain why it’s not right - we just get rid of it. It’s a fun process, it would be boring if you just sort of nailed it, got it right and then just had to keep doing it exactly like that forever.

“You have to remember that, actually, the music comes first and the deadlines second. We’re not afraid to just take our time now, the third album you just can’t get it wrong, you really can’t. I think it’s time for us to give our fans something that will challenge what they associate with White Lies and make new fans. First and foremost we’re just trying to write some good music.”

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