“THAT which does not kill us makes us stronger” said Friedrich Nietzsche.

Whether or not Keane have been brushing up on their 19th-century German philosophy remains to be discovered, but there’s definitely something in those words, more than a century after their author’s death, that rings especially true for the trio.

Today the band, originally from Battle, East Sussex, are in rude health. They’re leaner and fitter than ever, absolutely brimming with enthusiasm for their new album Perfect Symmetry, and more than a little eager to talk about it.

“We’ve made something to be immensely proud of,”

says singer Tom Chaplin.

“It’s definitely the best thing that’s been created by Keane.”

He’s right as well.

Perfect Symmetry is the band’s most consistent album to date, mixing their traditional sound with a newfound, energetic pop bounce.

The band’s debut Hopes And Fears was, as the title suggests, full of wide-eyed optimism and the uncertainty that comes with leaving university to join the ‘grown-up’ world.

Tim’s unique piano-playing style caught the ear of music fans, serious and casual alike, and the album went on to become the biggest-selling album by a British band in 2004.

Seemingly without stopping for breath, the band rolled from that success and headlong into the creation of their second offering, Under The Iron Sea, which was released in the summer of 2006.

The album had darker sound, but no matter how heavy the music sounded, it was nothing compared to what was going on within the band.

Unbeknown to most, Tom had been battling with drink and drug addiction for some time, and, while on tour in America, decided to fly home, cancelling any remaining shows.

He checked into rehab to straighten himself out, and for a while, it looked as if Keane would be no more.

The relationship between the childhood friends – Tom, Tim and drummer Richard Hughes – broke down as a result, leaving Keane, if they were to carry on, with some serious work to do to put things right.

After playing a handful of UK live dates, the first thing to do was to take some time off.

“We were tired before we even began making Under The Iron Sea,” reflects Richard.

“It was a very difficult time for us, and we hadn’t been ready for the success of Hopes And Fears.

“This time, we decided to take six months off before we began the new record,” he continues.

“That gave Tim plenty of time to write lots of songs, and it also gave us a bit of a chance to reconnect with the real world; to just live our lives in a relatively normal way, probably for the first time since before our first album came out.”

The break worked wonders for the band, who have now evidently sorted out their differences and behave as most lifelong best friends do, affectionately mocking one another and laughing among themselves.

With the album now in the shops and picking up some of their best reviews to date, the band’s attention is turning to performing, with their UK tour under way.

Watching Keane at a small warm-up show recently, they appear to be having more fun on stage than ever before. The new songs brim with confidence – Tom is also playing electric guitar on stage now, something Keane fans will have never seen before – while older material has been injected with fresh enthusiasm and urgency.

“Having three records to take songs from is great,” offers Richard.

“We absolutely love playing live, and I think performing that helped us back from the brink. We feel an incredible connection with the fans that come and see us play, it’s like a massive celebration and party rather than a passive process where we play songs and people listen.”

“Playing gigs and hearing fans singing the songs back to us inspires us more than anything,” concludes Tom.

“Wherever we are, the UK, Europe, US, South America or Japan, we love it.

“We just love being out on the road again.”