BRITPOP luminaries Bluetones play Blackburn on July 22, Manchester on September 10 and Liverpool on September 15 on their farewell tour. We spoke to lead singer Mark Morriss about the band’s decision to call it a day.

USUALLY when a band announce they are splitting it’s due at best to irreconcilable differences or, as is often the case, the fact that they can no longer stand the sight of each other.

But with The Bluetones that’s clearly not the case.

Only a few minutes into a conversation with singer Mark Morriss and it soon becomes clear that this is very much a reluctant parting of the ways.

“There’s no animosity or any problems within the band,” he said. “We just feel that we have taken The Bluetones as far as they can go.

“It is very frustrating for us as we are all creative and want to move forward but the way things are in the music business we’re really not allowed to do that.

"We don’t want to be seen solely as part of a nostalgia circuit.”

The Bluetones’ initial success coincided with the rise of Britpop. Their debut album Expecting to Fly knocked Oasis from the top of the album chart in 1996 and the single Slight Return reached second place in the singles chart.

More top 10 singles followed but, as the popularity of Britpop waned, the band found commercial success harder to come by.

They have, however, maintained a large live following.

“Last year we released an album we were all very proud of,” said Mark.

“But the release was a mess and it has proved very damaging to us in terms of getting another record deal.

“We could get by with playing Slight Return for the next 20 years but none of us want to do that.”

Mark has already experienced life away from The Bluetones, having released a solo album, Memory Muscle, in 2008. “The musical landscape has changed since then,” he said.

“So I’m entereing new territory. You can’t stop writing songs so I’ll keep on stockpiling them until I work out what to do with them.

"One thing I am interested in is writing songs for other people as that’s not something I’ve done before.”

In the meantime, the farewell tour will roll around the country with a set list partly decided by fans themselves.

"We’ve given them the chance to tell us what they would like us to play for them, which seemed a fitting way to go out,” said Mark.

The Bluetones, King George’s Hall, Blackburn, Friday, July 22. Details from the box office on 0844 847 1664