More about: Coldplay

Coldplay’s Chris Martin has revealed all about the making of the bands third album, including how they missed out on a massive bonus and the meaning of the album title.

Speaking to Insideonline.com in America he revealed that the band would rather produce better music than get more money, he said: "Deadlines be damned. It was all to do with fiscal years and shareholders anyway. Once we forgot about the money we were free to push ourselves to the very limits and make the best album possible."

The band apparently scrapped a whole albums worth of work recorded last summer with Ken Nelson, and opted for new material made with producer Danton Supple.

Martin explained the obscure nature of the album title: "X and Y is the mathematical formula used when you don't know the answer. But, it's also like black and white, or hope and despair, or optimism and pessimism. Everywhere you look there's a tension of opposites."

Despite Coldplay’s international success it seems Mr Paltrow still has doubts about the quality of his songwriting: "I still spend at least 60 per cent of my time thinking `I can't write songs.' I don't see myself as brilliantly talented, but lucky to have met the right combination of people who fit together like a jigsaw so you can't see our individual shortcomings."

More about: Coldplay