Elbow’s Guy Garvey reckons making his solo record felt a bit like having an affair.

The frontman and radio presenter has taken time out from the highly-successful Manchester five-piece to record his solo debut, Courting The Squall.

Guy Garvey
(Yui Mok/PA)

Guy recalled how he had been working at the same studio where Elbow have settled, and how bandmate Craig Potter, who was working in the next room on a project with another artist, popped in to say hello.

“He said it was like catching me in bed with another woman,” revealed Guy.

“Although he was finding plectrums about the place, rather than rogue earrings.

“But it’s just good fun, and I can’t wait to see Elbow in the crowd at my gigs. That’s going to be a treat of the age for me.”

Musically, the BBC Radio 6 Music show host’s new record covers a much more diverse range of styles and influences, tipping its hat in the direction of folk, funk, jazz and American roots.

The 41-year-old said: “I personally like solo albums from people in bands, because it’s a chance to hear what said member does in the band that you love. And sometimes it’s really satisfying, because they go off at a tangent.

“I think there’s a stronger link to my radio show on this album than there is with Elbow’s music. Just by virtue of me being the only writer here, you can hear the sorts of things I’ve been listening to over the past few years.”

Guy insisted he’s going it alone out of his own choice, not because there’s some underlying tension or a signal of more permanent things to come.

When the rest of the band heard his album had gone to number three in the charts, behind Elvis Presley’s recent orchestral album and Rod Stewart’s latest release, he said within 30 seconds, he’d received congratulatory texts from the other four wishing him well.

“The texts lined up on the screen of my phone, so I took a screen grab of it, it was such a beautiful thing.”

Guy Garvey’s debut solo album Courting The Squall is out now. He begins a UK tour on December 1.