Now firmly settled in Kent, Bluetones singer Mark Morriss is aiming to send off his highly-regarded band by starting their final ever tour in the county. Neill Barston caught up with him.

If ever there was an album which wore its heart boldly on its sleeve it’s the Bluetones’ 1996 debut, Expecting to Fly. Influenced by the spangly guitars of the Smiths’ Johnny Marr, the group’s distinctive sound stood out amid a crowded field squabbling over the Britpop throne.

Fast forward more than 15 years and Mark Morriss’s men recently celebrated the release of their sixth album, A New Athens, that’s sadly destined to be their last.

Having outlasted all but a very few of their contemporaries, the band have finally decided to call time on their musical adventures. But that’s not before they kick off their final ever tour at the Tunbridge Wells Forum.

“We’re all sad that the band is ending but we’ve had a good ride with it and done six albums,” said Mark, 39, whose brother Scott plays bass in the band.

“Life has a way of making you want to do other things and we thought rather than wait till we fall out, we thought we’d draw a line under it.”

Though their roots in the west London suburbs of Hounslow may not be closely associated with rock greatness, their surroundings instilled in them a sense of longing to broaden their horizons. Though many fans hail their first set of recordings – which were to prove their most commercially successful – as their finest hour, they’ve never been ones to trade on past glories.

“Expecting to Fly was indeed our biggest selling album and is the most familiar to people but it’s the one we feel most removed from as it’s so long ago now. But of course it meant a lot at the time, but we only ever play two or three songs from it. My favourite albums are either the third one or the last one we’ve done. The nature of being creative is that you look forward rather than look back,” added Mark.

It’s that very mentality that’s permeated much of the Bluetones music. It delivers a welcome dose of hope within their tightly-crafted pop songs. Their record speaks for itself, garnering an enviable rosta of hits that have formed the backbone of many crowd-pleasing sets on their tours of Europe, Japan and dalliances with America.

Closer to home, it seems Mark is most contented with a personal move to Kent several years ago. He believes there’s much to look forward to in the county including keeping a watchful eye on his lively three-year-old son as he grows up at the family home in Tunbridge Wells.

“I’ve found there’s a real sense of community here which is why I moved out of London. Kent’s a quiet and friendly place and it’s been good for my lad as well, so we’re not going anywhere.”

The band played at the Hop Farm Music Festival, Paddock Wood, in June and Mark made the effort to see Morrissey, as the Smiths were among his childhood musical heroes.

“I remember going to the Hop Farm gigs a few years ago when they had Neil Young playing there with Primal Scream and Supergrass. I just thought to myself that this is a proper festival.”

He added: “There have been many highlights – playing Glastonbury in 1997, the first ever show in Tokyo was quite mind-blowing. There have been so many moments, even things like when you’ve just wrapped a song you have recorded and feel a sense that you’ve done it. Of course it goes without saying we’ve been blessed with a loyal fanbase who have been with us a long time.”

The Bluetones get their final tour under way at Tunbridge Wells’ Forum on Friday, September 2.