Matty Healy: ‘I’m not an avocado – not everyone thinks I’m amazing’

Divisive motormouth or voice of a generation? The creative force behind Britain's biggest band doesn't care what you call him - there's a crisis going on

When the 1975 released the song Frail State of Mind last October, the opening line, Go outside? Seems unlikely," felt like a typical Matty Healy lyric: heavy emotions, light touch. Now, he says, it's one of many moments on the band's fourth album, Notes on a Conditional Form, that have acquired an uncanny resonance. This album asks the same question as the last record," he says. Can the centre hold? Is this weird? It's slightly fearful. It's going to come out at a time when that feels quite justified."

Well, yes. In a kinder timeline, the 1975 would be headlining US arenas and enjoying the full pre-release hoopla as you read this. So much for that. When lockdown loomed, Healy asked himself where he most wanted to be. Whenever he's not making music, he has an inherent lack of purpose", so he headed straight for the band's residential studio in Northamptonshire with drummer and co-producer George Daniel. After finishing some production work, the pair started playing around with new 1975 material.