As Mr Mouse explains to Hot Press, "We were really into the songwriting itself on this record. We felt like the album could have a lot of layers to it, and the songwriting would hopefully be something that stayed around for a while. We weren’t so concerned with the style so much as the substance …”

He and Mercer began work on Broken Bells – a Top Ten hit in the States – in early 2008, although as he explains, “It took about a year to finish. We were working on and off; every couple of months we would get together for a week or two.”

Of Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach, he enthuses “I have heard it, I think it’s great. I’m just really thankful that I was able to be a part of the whole Gorillaz thing, and I learned so much from Damon – probably more than anybody I’ve ever worked with.”

Read the full interview with Danger Mouse in the new issue of Hot Press out today (Joss Ritter cover).