STARSAILOR are to play Leeds Beckett University Students' Union on October 16 and Sheffield Leadmill on October 18 on their autumn tour in support of their September 1 album, All This Life.

Released on Cooking Vinyl in CD, digital and vinyl formats, this will be Starsailor's fifth studio album and their first since All The Plans in 2009, when they took a break to concentrate on other projects after four albums and 11 Top 40 singles.

They reconvened for a couple of shows in 2014 and now their return has blossomed anew. "We always agreed we wouldn't force an album if there wasn't the demand and enthusiasm out there for it but thankfully there was,” says lead singer and songwriter James Walsh. "The greatest hits tour in 2015 spurred us on to make the best album we could knowing how many people were out there still passionate about the band."

Already this year, Starsailor have played to a packed-out Big Top Stage at the Isle Of Wight Festival and performed at British Summer Time in London’s Hyde Park.

They worked on the new album with producer Rick McNamara, from the West Yorkshire band Embrace. Tucked away in Sowerby Bridge, their recording process for All This Life was a much more relaxed affair than for its 2009 predecessor. "There was less pressure than on All The Plans. We seemed to have a lot more freedom on this record," says drummer Ben Byrne.

The shadow of major labels watching over them had gone. “This felt more like, 'let's give it everything we've got but try and enjoy the process as much as possible'. We felt fortunate to be back in the studio,” says Walsh.

He addresses heartbreak and grief on the new record. "Both myself and Rick [McNamara] were going through emotional turmoil and relationship break-ups, so it was a cathartic experience for us. I think the message of the album is to keep going. It's going to be alright. Mental health is at the forefront of the conversation these days. I hope people listen and realise that everyone goes through s**t, no matter how seemingly good their life is, and that they can find comfort from that," says Walsh.

"The ultimate goal with this album is to hopefully satisfy our fans, and prove to ourselves that we can still do what we do well," concludes keyboardist Barry Westhead. "If we get new fans on board along the way that would be great. If we get the chance to make another record after this one, it would mean we've achieved what we've set out to do with this album. That to me would be success."

Tickets for Starsailor's 12-date October tour are on sale at starsailorband.co.uk/tour.asp