It’s a busy time to be Mark Owen. His new solo album is out on Monday and he’s embarking on a solo UK tour which comes to Manchester later this month. Sammi Wild spoke to one fifth of Take That.

Your fourth studio album The Art of Doing Nothing is out on Monday, eight years after your last solo album. How do you feel about the release?

I’m feeling quite good at the moment. I’m feeling really positive. I’m really pleased with the record. I’m looking forward to people hearing it. I’ve had it in my world for a while now, so I’m looking forward to some people having it in their world.

How does it compare and differ to your past albums?

Finding the right sound for the record was a bit of a journey, to be honest. The last record I did with Take That — Progress — was such a distinct sound that I was really proud of but I had to almost go back in some ways to 2005 and kind of have a little look at where I’d left with How The Mighty Fall, and the sound that was there.

Has the album turned out the way you expected it to?

I never went into it with too many expectations to be honest. I like to see things kind of grow. There wasn’t really any massive expectation at the beginning as to what it could be. At one point I was looking at bits of animation and stuff like that and going down different roads. But I tried not to have too many expectations.

You’re off on tour at the weekend. Are you excited to be going out by yourself again?

Well, we’re in rehearsals at the moment and I’m trying to get an atmosphere. What I’m hoping to be able to capture really, is a really great atmosphere. Obviously, when you do the Take That shows, there’s 60ft robotic men, and things like that with you, which I can’t fit into a lot of the venues I’m playing, so I can’t bring that with me.

The word that they normally use, that I see written, is an “intimate” vibe. But that word, just makes me feel like “I sound about 70”. I mean, I’m going to be closer to the audience so I guess it is more intimate.

But if we can get a great atmosphere and the songs sound great, and they can get into the mood of the show and enjoy it — I guess you want them to go home and go “Oh that was worth buying a ticket to”.

I don’t think about this show any differently than I think about a Take That show. Gotta give value for money, gotta give them songs they want to hear. You want to really engage. You know what’s a good word? Intimate. No, you want to engage your audience, and I want to see them and for them to come on the journey with us really. And I hope we can do that.

And song-wise I’m playing stuff off the new record, some of the old stuff as well and some Take That songs in there. So a mixed bag, and getting that to work well together. I don’t know what they can expect really.

Has the second chapter of Take That inspired the album at all?

I love the band and I love being a part of Take That, but I kind of hear them you know, when I’m going “I’m just gonna see how things naturally evolve” and you start doing that thing in the back of your mind and you hear Rob going “I wouldn’t do that” and Howard is going “No, I wouldn’t do that either, Rob”, and I’m like “Will you guys just shut up for two minutes while I just try and do something on me own!”.

It’s a nice thing, I guess that in a way, it’s inspiration even when they’re not actually in the room ’cause you know, I’ve known them for 20 years-plus. They’re a part of what I do anyway.

Has it been nice to be able to experiment on your own a little bit and take the driving seat again?

For the last few years I’ve been doing, I guess, a record every couple of years — counting Take That. And I kind of walk this path where I just try and write songs. I don’t really know what else to do really so I try and write songs and carry on doing that kind of thing. In the nicest way, it’s like they kind of all went off on holiday. Like Gaz has gone and done the X Factor, Rob’s done his record, Jay’s gone over there and Howard’s gone that way and I feel like I have to walk the same path really in many ways. I’m hoping they’ll come back next year and get back in the car. But I’m kind of just driving the bus around you know. I need to go and pick them all up soon.

  • Mark Owen, Manchester Ritz, Monday, June 17. Details from 0844 248 5117.