"We started working about a year and a half ago, maybe even longer," he said. "We did about six or seven songs that were ready. My idea was, 'Let's do these songs, make them great and be all excited about them, and then that will propel the band into writing the rest of the songs. We'll get right back and do the rest of them.' Well, that didn't happen. I was not able to get them into the studio for another year and a half."

"They had a lot of things going on," continued O'Brien. "I just don't think they were quite ready just yet to do the whole . . . Once they finish a record, I think they know they've gotta crank the whole thing up. If they're happy with the record, it sort of means they're going to get the whole thing rolling.