Early writing sessions for The Strokes' new album have felt like marriage therapy, according to bassist Nikolai Fraiture.

The New York rockers, who co-headlined the Reading and Leeds Festivals with Pulp over the weekend (August 27 and 28), admitted their relationship was strained during the making of their latest album, 'Angles'.

Fraiture said although the five-piece are now in a "good place", he admitted that not everyone in the band is contributing equally to new material yet.

He said in an interview with the Daily Star: "Some people are bringing in stuff, some are not. There aren't so many finished songs but we have many parts. We try putting them together like puzzles and making them stick.

He added that the sessions will only get into gear when everyone has the time to be in the studio together, adding:

"What we do on our own is not the same as what we do together. We're in a good place as a band right now. I feel like I'm at therapy in a marriage."

Frontman Julian Casablancas admitted that he stalled sessions for the new album earlier this year, which will be the band's fifth. He hinted at tensions with guitarist Nick Valensi, who apparently wanted to record a solo album of songs put together by The Strokes.

Watch The Strokes perform 'You Only Live Once' live at Reading Festival 2011: