So what have you been doing for the past five years?

Perfecting my receipe for baked alaska, and breeding pit ponies

Describe your sound for Silver Sun virgins

Wildcat, wildcat, wildcat

Do you think being lumbered with the 'Britpop' tag quickened your demise last time around?

I have no memory of ever being called a brit pop band other than that we are british and have some semblance of popness

Do think the state of the UK music scene has got better or worse since the late 90s?

much better

Was it a difficult decision to jump back in after such a long time away?

We never went away, you just didn't see us. It's easy to get back in the swing, just hard to remember some of the chords.

Where did the material come from? Have you being writing furiously for the past year or has it all come together over the course of your absence?

The songs have been written over the course of about the last 5 years, I've got a massive stockpile that I can pick N choose from.....

Were you surprised by the enthusiastic response you received following the 6 Music session you did earlier this year?

Umm, people seemed to like it, but I know that our stuff is great. It's just getting people to hear it.

I understand you're all back together for the tour but how come the band didn't play on the album?

They did play on it but not as much as before due to various commitments all round. For the next album 'Dad's Weird Dream' we'll all play together as before.

I read somewhere that the new Silver Sun tracks have a more 'electronic' feel. Tell me it's not true!

It's not true. Who told you that? There's a silly intro to a song called Immediate that I did one evening on the programme 'Rebirth'. But we ain't gonna be wearing orange boiler suits on stage & standing behind Prophet 5's

Tell us about some of the new material.

It's smashing!

Is there one album or band in particular that's influenced you're writing over the years?

Overnite Sensation by Frank Zappa / Teenage Fanclub / Dinosaur Jnr / Rush / Beefheart / Neil Young / Joni Mitchell / Crimson. It never stops...

What's the masterplan now that you're back?

I wish I could think that far ahead ..I barely know what I'm having for dinner....

You've hired Jeff Cummins - who did the cover art for the first record - to design the sleeve of the new album. His style is pretty distinctive. Do you work with him on the ideas or is he given free rein to do what he likes?

It's a collaboration, I give him an idea and then he does what he wants...........

What are you listening to on your iPod at the moment?

I have just unpaused it from last night and it's on Arrested For Driving While Blind by ZZ Top

The internet. Good or bad for musicians?

Good

You're currently in the middle of a short tour. So are you Keith Richards or Cliff Richard when you're on the road?

I'm the captain, not the cabin boy

Have you picked up any obsessive fans along the way?

Not me, but Paul has. Especially in Japan. they love him there...

So where are you off next?

IKEA