Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner has said the band's new album is 78% complete.

The singer said the record, which is the follow-up to 2007's 'Favourite Worst Nightmare', would be ready by the summer.

“78% is done, I have been working in fractions actually - two thirds. (I'm) thrilled with it,” he told Australia's Triple J network.

The band have been showcasing new material during a mini-Australian tour, which included a performance at the Big Day Out festival.

Turner, who spent 2008 working with side-project The Last Shadow Puppets, said the group weren't concerned about airing new songs so far ahead of the album's release.

"Otherwise it seems like you are going backwards, almost, if you didn’t at least do something new,” he said.

(by Jason Gregory)