Manchester duo Hurts have said their new songs will allow them to have a much happier time on stage when they play them live.

Singer Theo Hutchcraft and multi-instrumentalist Adam Anderson are about to release their third album Surrender, and since putting their first video out on YouTube five years ago, they now have a massive following.

The pair think their success has had an effect on the mood of their music and their live shows.

Hurts
(Markus Schreiber/AP)

“We didn’t know what we were doing at the beginning,” said Adam. “We were pretty miserable, with these melancholy songs, and we didn’t want to go on stage and start jumping up and down and laugh about it.

“The songs weren’t about that, they were about disappointment and sadness and longing and hope. And combined with our inexperience, we were quiet on stage. Then things happen when you tour for three years, and you loosen up and play up to the fact the venues are a bit bigger.”

Adam said the songs on Surrender are much more geared toward having a good time on stage, written with the big occasion in mind.

“We’ve got gospel singers coming on the road with us, and it’ll be the most joyous tour we’ve done. I am buzzing to play them live, they’re built for the dynamism of a stadium show.”

Talking about their latest record, Adam said: “The new album is a symbol of trying to have a bit more fun in life. It’s about a creating a positive atmosphere. Often we end up being quite introverted, recording in a small room in Manchester, as we did with the first two albums.

“This time around, we decided we couldn’t do that any more. We needed a new perspective, and that came from travelling, being more relaxed and having more fun. I think half the album is reflective of that. But it wouldn’t be a Hurts album if there wasn’t a darker side too, so it’s still there.”

The album is very short, too, the 10 songs of the standard version clocking in at just over half an hour, although there is a deluxe version featuring 13 tracks.

“The length is partially about editing ourselves,” Adam added. “I think this is a very concise version of us, there are fewer layers there. If you’re writing songs aimed at the masses, why beat around the bush? We wrote the second album for ourselves, and this is for the fans.”

Hurts release third album Surrender on October 9. They tour the UK next February. For dates and tickets, visit www.informationhurts.com.