The Betrayed sees the band at the height of their powers, but it had a difficult birthing process. After spending a fortune in 2007 on recordings with Good Charlotte producer John Feldmann and Metallica producer Bob Rock, the band abandoned the tapes and spent three years instead making an album they could be proud of.

Hot Press asks Watkins if they have the most understanding label in the world or are they unbelievably pig-headed? “I think it’s definitely more the latter,” laughs the singer. “… we’re not going to put out anything half arsed.”

"Lyrically this is the first time I’ve felt eloquent enough to be able to convey what I wanted to convey,” Watkins admits. "Half the time when you work with people outside the band you have to explain what you mean and when you have to start bullet pointing your lyrics and dissecting it, it loses all of its meaning.”

Read the full interview with Ian Watkins in today's issue of Hot Press (Josh Ritter cover).