Blur’s Dave Rowntree On His New Solo Album “Radio Songs,” Writing For Non-Blur Projects, Future Career Plans & Much More

Earlier today, Blur drummer Dave Rowntree announce details related to his long-awaited debut album Radio Songs. Due out on January 20, 2023 via the Cooking Vinyl label, this announcement coincides with the release of a new single, “Devil’s Island,” his second from the debut record. The hard-to-pigeonhole album was produced by Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, Wild Beasts, Ghostpoet, Jarvis Cocker).

Per Dave Rowntree in a press release about “Devil’s Island,” Radio Songs‘ opening track: “I grew up in the UK in the 1970s and while there were definitely good points about the decade, I also remember how toxic it could be. The country was deeply divided, and racism and misogyny were the norm. The economy was a basket case, and at one point we had to be bailed out by the IMF [International Monetary Fund]. However, listening to some people, you’d think it was a golden age to which we should yearn to return. This song is a note to self, to remind me how far we’ve come in forty years.”

Simply calling Dave Rowntree “the drummer from Blur,” however, minimizes the impact he has had for decades on the world around him. Beyond serving as a Labour Party councillor in Norfolk County Council from 2017 until 2021, Rowntree has worked as a radio presenter, a podcast host, an animator and a composer. He is the founder of a charity which campaigns with relation to drug policies, Release. He was the recipient of an honorary doctorate in law by London’s University Of Greenwich.

Back in July, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dave Rowntree via Zoom, as embedded below. We spoke about his forthcoming album Radio Songs and plenty more within that chat. Additional information on Rowntree and Radio Songs can be found online by clicking here, here and here.

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Tags: Blur, Britpop, Cooking Vinyl, Dave Rowntree, England

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."