The last twelve months have seen the return of many boy bands who first scored success in the late nineties and early noughties. Whilst many have ridden their return on live shows performing their big hits, none have actually gone back into the recording studio to make a new album – with one exception, Blue.

The group released their seventh studio album, Reflections, earlier this year to wide acclaim and a top-five album chart placing in the process. In truth Blue never actually split up; the band might have been on a hiatus for a while in a career that has seen them work with some of the biggest recording acts in the world.

“Getting to work with legends such as Elton John and Stevie Wonder is definitely up there with some of the best things to happen to us," explained Duncan James from the band. “Also getting to travel the world and being an international band was unusual for many boy bands from Britain, as their home success often does not translate internationally."

In 2011 Blue represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest with I Can, coming eleventh place in the contest. The experience was one of hard work and little sleep, as Antony Costa remembers, "It was the hardest ten days I have experienced in twenty-five years of being in Blue – I have never worked so hard; it was relentless with press conferences and photo shoots all back to back. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic opportunity for me and the band to represent our country."

Their spring tour has had to be extended due to demand from the fans; many dates have sold out. “We will be performing all the hits, a few old album tracks from the early days; we want to give the fans a chance to hear songs which we have not sung for a few years. We are really proud of the new album, Reflections, so expect a few tracks from there too. Predominantly the tour is a celebration of our twenty-fifth anniversary and looking back at the highlights of our career," enthused Duncan.

The north has always been one of the areas that Blue has enjoyed performing in; this year will be no different, explained Antony. "York was one of the first dates to sell out; we would rather not let our Yorkshire fans down, so we have added extra dates in Hull and Bradford."

The Bradford date in May is one Blue are excited about playing. "Bradford Live is going to be great – we have heard a lot about the renovated venue; obviously it’s one where we have never performed before, so we are really looking forward to it.”

“Forget your troubles outside, come to the venue and have a trip down memory lane with a few paths leading off to our new album; see our support act 911 before us and I can guarantee you will have a night to remember."

The new album was an unexpected surprise. In an age when new albums from established acts might seem as rare as winning the lottery, Blue resisted the temptation to release a Greatest Hits album, which might have been seen as a cop-out.

“We all love writing and being in the recording studio, and unlike a lot of other boy bands, we have always written our own songs from day one. Antony went into the studio and wrote Earth Stood Still and I think the rest of us got a feeling of missing out as the song was so good," said Duncan

“We all then went into the studio, and before we knew it, we had over fifty new songs written. Out of those, we had to decide which thirteen to keep on the new album. The feedback from our audience has been very encouraging too – many say it is the best album we have ever done.”

The album manages to incorporate the sound of Blue yet still has a progression in terms of musical styles; One Last Time in particular could have been a Stereophonics song. The track has a very special meaning for Duncan. "I wrote the song about Terry, my best friend, who sadly passed away. Funnily enough, I love the track Dakota by Stereophonics. I said to the producer, 'Can we get that guitar vibe from Dakota on my song? I even wanted the song to be even rockier than it is.'

For an act that has been performing for a quarter century, Blue remain enthusiastically upbeat and are excited about the upcoming tour – including the local cuisine too. “As band members we are always inspired and interested by local delicacies; we also try and go out and eat at a local restaurant. When we come to Bradford, it will definitely be a curry night for all of us; the hotter the better," enthused Duncan.

With tickets selling fast for the remaining dates and a critically acclaimed new album, the tour is destined to be one of the hottest of the spring.

Blue plays the following dates in the north:

25th April - York Barbican
26th April - Manchester Bridgewater Hall
29th April - Newcastle City Hall
30th April - Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
18th May - Manchester Opera House
19th May - Hull Arena
21st May - Bradford Live

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