 Recording a new album was , according to Robert , a " natural progression " after the band began playing together again . " The thing that kind of introduces us back together is all those memories of the songs , and once you start playing those songs ... it always takes us back to ... 18 years now . It can take us back to our past and think about where we were when we were writing these songs , and that 's a bond , I think , [ that ] will always keep us together as four people .... It just progressed into , ' Maybe it 's time to make a new record . ' " 
