Dave Rowntree believes Blur got “much better” after bassist Alex James joined the band.
The Britpop legends have just announced a pair of reunion shows at London’s Wembley Stadium and Beauregard Festival in Hérouville-Saint-Clair, Normandy next July, their first in seven years.
And the sticksman has reflected on the enduring legacy of the Damon Albarn-fronted band and he credits both Alex and guitarist Graham Coxon’s talents, and the “chemistry” they all share, with their success.
He told the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column: “That the foundation of everything we did was the songs, that’s number one.
“Number two is that people still haven’t figured out how Graham gets that guitar sound, and as long as they don’t we’re at the leading edge of things.
“Ultimately, chemistry is the vital element. Damon [Albarn], Graham and I were in various bands pre-Blur, but we got much better when Alex [James] joined – even at the first rehearsal – and we were signed six months later.
“You can’t manufacture chemistry. Fundamentally, music is a people business, not a music business.”
Dave signed a record deal with indie label Cooking Vinyl a year ago and will release his debut solo album, ‘Radio Songs’, early next year.
“I grew up in a slightly unusual household in that, rather than go to football, my dad and I built radios together.
“My album, ‘Radio Songs’, is inspired by my relationship with radio and a lot of the stuff on it comes from recordings I made of the noises between stations. I always have a moment when my music gets played.”