The Libertines Gary Powell blown away by Scouse stance as he says why Liverpool 'feels like home'

"If you've lost your faith in love and music the end won't be long."

The Libertines drummer, Gary Powell, points to a line from The Good Old Days, a song from the band's debut album, as to why the iconic indie rockers have survived the test of time. The group, that also comprises of Pete Doherty, Carl Barat and John Hassall, shot to stardom as the UK's answer to The Strokes in the early 2000s and have battled through a number of highly publicised problems during their rollercoaster career, such as the frontman's drug addiction and a breakup that lasted a decade.

In an exclusive interview with the ECHO, Gary explained the band were always able to repair any rifts that developed during their well documented issues as the love for music that first brought the Libertines together never went away even during times of disarray. He said: "None of us actually lost our faith in love and music. At that particular time [during the band's split], everyone was on their own individual path and we needed to figure out who we were as individuals."

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The Libertines reformed in 2014 and are set to release their first album in nine years when All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade comes out on March 8. Gary said the band's fourth studio album represents an important step in The Libertines' evolution as the fractures that divided them in the past are now a distant memory as they embark on a harmonious future.

The 54-year-old said: "It's only post Covid and Brexit where we are now truly appreciative of everybody's efforts with regards to what we did beforehand and how everybody was feeling beforehand from an