Arcade Fire producer James Murphy says band’s new material ‘really great’

TORONTO – James Murphy says the new Arcade Fire album he’s been producing sounds “really great.”

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the former LCD Soundsystem frontman says the Montreal band is used to being self-produced so he wasn’t sure what to expect when they came to record with him at DFA Records’ studio in March.

But he tells the music magazine that the high quality of the band’s songs alleviated any pressure he was feeling.

The band hopes to have a new album out by the end of the year, and Murphy says he’s eager to see its release.

Arcade Fire’s last album, “The Suburbs,” topped charts in the U.S., Canada and around the world en route to double-platinum sales here.

The ambitious record also took home top prize at the Grammy Awards: album of the year.