Garbage are preparing to return with their long-awaited fourth album, ‘Bleed Like Me’, in April. The follow-up to 2001’s ‘Beautiful Garbage’, recorded in various Stateside studios, sees the band return to their original hard rock sound and features a drum cameo from Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. Frontwoman Shirley Manson reveals all about the album, troubled band relations and her rumoured collaborations with Marilyn Manson.

What’s the mood like in the Garbage camp at the moment?

“Once of complete utter amazement that we’ve actually finished a record! We can’t believe it. We’re amazed that we got to this point – we’re pleased with the record and we’ve had an amazing reaction to it. We’re relieved.”

How would you describe ‘Bleed Like Me’?

“It’s definitely the closest we’ve ever come to capturing what we sound like live on a record. It’s more simple, straightforward and more of a rock record. We wanted to forget all of the technology and work on capturing our live sound instead. We also got to a point where we weren’t getting on very well either and didn’t want to spend time in the studio together!”

Why weren’t you getting on?

“We’ve been together for a long time and spend time in each others’ faces 24/7 when we’re working, so it’s only natural that things should get a bit whacked out sometimes. It sounds cliché, but we weren’t communicating, and when you don’t speak it causes a lot of tension. I wish we were different types of people because we’d probably have a huge, physical fight and that would solve all of our problems. But unfortunately it’s all a bit passive-aggressive. Everybody tries to be kind to each other but sometimes you just need a big fight to clear the air.”

What themes are running through the lyrics on this album?

“Some people think it’s a political record and some people think it’s all about relationships, but it’s probably an amalgamation of both. The last few years for anybody in any part of the world have been very worrying and you’d have to be dead to not have some kind of political view at the moment. So the world climate has definitely influenced the album and I’ve been a little more over in my political leanings.”

What’s easier – writing about relationships or politics?

To be honest, I don’t feel confidant writing about anything, so nothing is easy. It’s getting a bit retarded! The very fact that I’m still a neurotic, insecure mess is probably why I’m still in a band. I literally had writer’s block for a year-and-a-half on this record. I had vocal surgery too, so my voice wasn’t working properly, I couldn’t write and I was really distressed about my relationship with the band. It was a fucking nightmare! I did think about jacking it all in about a million times but what else am I going to do? I have nothing else.”

Dave Grohl drums on ‘Bad Boyfriend’. What was he like to work with?

I don’t know Dave very well, but I wish I was good friends with him. Me and a million other girls, eh? He obviously has history with Butch [Vig, drums and producer of ‘Nevermind’] and Butch asked him as a favour because his style of drumming was perfect for the song. Dave’s a fantastic glowing ball of energy. He’s Mr Personality and everybody loves him.”

It’s rumoured that you and Marilyn Manson are collaborating together. Is that true?

“It is. We met at a Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert and got on really well. So we recorded a track together, a version of Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me Baby?’. It’s really cool but neither of us felt comfortable putting it on our records, so I don’t know if it will ever come out. I hope it does. Our voices sound fantastic in a very ‘Beauty And The Beast’ kind of way.”

Finally, what colour hair are you currently rocking?

“(Laughs) I have my red hair back! I went mad last time, I think. I can’t believe that I shaved all my hair off. What was I thinking? When I look back at the pictures of it now, I’m like, ‘What the fuck!?’. It was crazy.”

Garbage’s new single ‘Why Do You Love Me?’ is out on March 28 and the album ‘Bleed Like Me’ follows on April 11 via Warner Brothers.