Barry Andrews, former keyboard player with rock band XTC, is releasing his new album this week and is also gearing up to go back on tour with his band Shriekback.

The album, Why Anything? Why This? is out on Thursday, May 25.

Shriekback was a project set up in 1981 as a platform for Barry to step up as front man, to perform his own songs. Along with playing with Swindon's Andy Partridge in XTC, Barry also played with rock giants Robert Fripp and League of Gentleman.

He said it was much more fun performing with his own band. "Keyboard playing on stage is a thankless gig, if you ask me. It's just stroking furniture. I much prefer flailing about like an eejit.''

Shriekback has a core of three, Barry, Carl Marsh and Martyn Barker. The musicians had a bit of a hiatus from live gigging for 25 years, until 2017 when they went out on tour and performed a headline show at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush arena. Barry said it was an old friend who finally gave him the push to get back on the road.

"Luc Van Acker got in touch and asked if we wanted to do a festival in Belgium for loads of money - in two weeks time, which was impossible of course, but it got us thinking, thinking about rock 'n' roll and fun and money, plus there had been, to be fair, quite a lot of nagging from various people for quite a long time.''

Shriekback raised £40,000 for the new live show via fundraising website Kickstarter and Barry says he was profoundly grateful to their fans, but also a bit surprised by the sheer amount they raised.

"Well frankly yes, and quite how international the audience were as well. It was humbling and megalomania inducing of course.''

As a taster for the new album Barry and the guys have released a new single called And The Rain. "We thought it was rather good, a touch of American Gothic, which is a new look for us, snakeskin boots, slide guitar and endless warm downpour of the eponymous rain,'' he said.

The album was mixed and mastered at Lighterthief Studios in Swindon run by Stuart Rowe.

"I was very pleased to be asked to work on their 14th album - the fifth that I have worked on. Always a pleasure and always entertaining. This one was a bit different as there were more live drums and guitars - it's more organic sounding but still 100 per cent Shriekback,” said Stuart.

To go with the album, Shriekback have shot a music video at a big soundstage in Park Royal, West London. "Which is a very interesting part of town, Edgeland - police car pounds, railways lines and random industrial estates,'' said Barry.

Some of the music critics have been comparing the new album to Shriekback's Oil and Gold album that shot them to fame in the eighties. Barry says he gets frustrated by being labelled a 1980s band.

"It does point up a core annoyance, which is being so umbilically linked to the 80s. We have more, so much more to say, goddamit!'' he said.

Shriekback are gearing up to play at a summer festival in Belgium on August 19 alongside Marc Almond, and Barry says he would love to play back in his home town of Swindon.

"Yeah! Swindon would be great, last time we played here was in the 1990s at the old George on Eastcott Hill, with our acoustic band - didges, and obscure middle eastern string instruments. Was a gas!''

For more details of Shriekback or the new album visit www.shriekback.com - Flicky Harrison