Pete: I toiled at keeping it clean

PETE Doherty struggled to follow bandmate Carl Barat’s rule of staying sober whilst in the studio this time around.

The Libertines frontman wanted the band on their best behaviour and so implemented a strict rule of no booze or drugs whilst they created new LP All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade but they found it difficult.

He shared: “When we were in the studio this time, Carl said there was gonna be no drugs or alcohol, so we tried that, which was the first time we’ve done that really.

“Normally it all went together you know what I mean?

The drinking and making music, for me it was all a part of it so for me that was a bit of self-sacrifice and discipline on my part.”

Carl laughed: “Aww, times is hard, but it was good. You did very well!

“But no, I think it was hard for all of us not to imbibe but it’s about the focus, and we needed to have the focus and by not having that chaos it made us so much more efficacious. It was a lot more effective.”

It certainly was, the band is on course to top the charts for the first time in 20 years.

Pete has revealed he is clean from drugs after previously taking heroin and cocaine. And it’s not just drugs that Pete has swerved, he’s also on a digital detox: “I don’t even have a phone now, I can’t even get online, I feel a bit cast adrift.”

Pete has his finger on the pulse though and his hotel Albion Rooms in Margate is a huge success.

He’s always thinking of ways to improve it, including decking it out with great memorabilia.

He told Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1: “We’ve also got the bathtub that Jim Morrison died in which we’re going to be putting in one of the rooms at the Albion Rooms.”

Moving forward, Pete revealed plans to put “more time into” his own record label Strap Originals and supporting younger bands.