The Libertines still want to break America: “Trouble is, Pete’s been banned there for the past 20 years”

nme.com:

The Libertines have revealed that they still have the ambition to break America, despite frontman Pete Doherty being “banned” from the country for two decades.The British indie icons reflected on the success of their career over the past 20 years during a new interview with The Sun (via Music News), and revealed that there is still a part of them that wishes they could take their music across the pond.The discussion came in light of their recently released album, ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’, which was their first full-length LP in nearly a decade and the follow-up to 2015’s ‘Anthems for Doomed Youth’.Opening up about their hopes to take the album into the States, Carl Barat opened up about the struggles they have faced with the prospect over their career. “Trouble is, Pete’s been banned there for the past 20 years,” he said, explaining how Doherty’s well-documented struggles with addiction have led to various legal issues, and prevented the band from heading Stateside.He continued, going on to share how, although the frontman’s sobriety may help them overcome their previous obstacles, they still have no idea what size their audience would be outside of the UK and Europe.“We don’t know what we’re worth ticket-wise — it could be Madison Square Garden or a local bar,” he pondered. “But we’re hoping, especially with Pete’s progress, to get there and find out.”‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’ arrived today (April 5), following the indie heavyweights teasing the release over recent months by dropping singles including ‘Run Run Run’, ‘Night Of The Hunter’, ‘Shiver’ and ‘Oh Shit’.

They also debuted some other cuts from the album at two intimate shows in Margate last December.The album was given a shimmering.