Portishead’s Adrian Utley has described the immense pressure the three-piece were under while recording their new album ‘Third.’

Both Utley and fellow bandmate Geoff Barrow split from their wives after the recording sessions began, in what Utley described as a “dark time” for the Bristolians.

Utley explained that their creative block began well over a decade ago when they were recording the eponymous follow up to their Mercury Music Prize winning debut ‘Dummy.’

He said: "After Dummy we had to make the second record Portishead, and that was a hellish time, it really was. There was pressure internally - there was a sense of 'got to get it done, got to get it done'.

"We went on to do a huge tour for a year and headlined loads of festivals because The Verve had split up that year. It was insanity really. It was ridiculously full on, considering we wanted to play to 500 people."

Speaking to the BBC, Utley continued that this kind of pressure loomed over them and they “went into meltdown” while recording ‘Third’ – an album that has taken them 10 years to complete.

"There were times when I thought - this is not going to happen. There were times there when I thought 'we're not going to be able to do it, or I'm going to die trying'."

The much-anticipated ‘Third’ is released on April 28.

(by Scott Colothan)