PAUL Heaton and Jacqui Abbott are working together for the first time since their gilded pop days in Hull band The Beautiful South.

The duo are to release an album, What Have We Become, through Virgin/EMI on May 12, complemented by an eight-date spring tour that will visit Leeds O2 Academy on May 24 and Hull City Hall on May 31.

Heaton & Abbott will perform songs from the new record, along with material from The Beautiful South and Heaton’s first band, The Housemartins.

What Have We Become is described as a “contemporary record, full of lyrical wit and humour, while retaining a strong social conscience that touches on the changing social landscape of Britain in One Man’s England and When I Get Back To Blighty; stereotypes in music in I Am Not A Muse; and the issue of loss in The Snowman and Some Dancing To Do”.

Heaton says working with Abbott again is like going into your garage and discovering a beautiful, covered-up Rolls Royce that hasn’t been started in years. “Jacqui is one of the best singers I’ve worked with and is also part of my past. It was only a matter of time before I asked her,” he adds.

“I always wrote songs with Jacqui in mind. Even before I met her, I pictured a voice that could carry the songs into people’s hearts in a particular way. When I first heard her sing, I almost laughed because it was so right for the songs.”

Abbott is equally delighted to have renewed her partnership in song with Heaton. “It’s just great to be singing again after such a long time, especially with Paul. We had such a good run together previously and it’s just a real pleasure to be working with him again and singing these fantastic songs.”

Alongside the aforementioned numbers, the album’s 12 tracks include Moulding Of A Fool; D.I.Y.; What Have We Become; Costa del Sombre; The Right In Me; When it Was Ours and Stupid Tears.

• Tickets go on sale tomorrow at £19.50 at 10am online at gigsandtours.com
The shows will be sponsored by the GMB Trade Union and the support act will be Cherry Ghost.